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CBC
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Advocates call absence of disability ministry in PM's new cabinet 'a real slap in the face'
Social Sharing When Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his new cabinet this week, one notable position was omitted from the roster: the minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities. Pre-election, the position was held by Kamal Khera, who lost her Brampton West seat to the Conservative Party's Amarjeet Gill. Instead of naming a new minister, the position was, in effect, abolished. Now, people with disabilities and those supporting them are raising concerns about what this will mean for federal policy moving forward. "For the Prime Minister to do this is a real slap in the face to eight million people with disabilities in Canada," said disability rights professor David Lepofsky. He said the move signals to people with disabilities that they are not a priority. According to Statistics Canada, about 27 per cent of Canadians 15 and over identify as having one or more disabilities. Lepofsky said that number will only increase as the population ages. Carissa Thorpe, who suffers from chronic pain, said she worries the omission will set people with disabilities back. "It feels dangerous to me because people with disabilities are the most vulnerable in society, and we are already very far behind most of the rest of society," she told CBC's The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn. "Nobody's going to be thinking of us." 'No watchdog' Lepofsky, who is blind, said not having a minister dedicated to this work means that issues that go before cabinet, often behind closed doors, won't be viewed through the lens of someone who is focused on ensuring people with disabilities are included in everything. "There's no watchdog there anymore to pipe up and say, 'Hey, what are you doing to make sure you're not creating new barriers with this initiative, or why did you leave people with disabilities out?'" For example, he said, the affordable housing crisis requires consideration of those who require accessible housing, too. "There's no one at the cabinet table to ensure that when they come forward with this kind of new strategy that the accessible housing crisis is effectively included in it and addressed by it." WATCH | Calls for improved Canadian Disability Benefit: Advocates urge next government to improve Canada Disability Benefit 1 month ago Duration 2:04 That housing component especially rings true for Thorpe. She said the last stable housing she had was a small converted shed in someone's backyard, with no running water and stairs that she fell down several times. The $1,552 she gets in disability payments each month has made it difficult for her to find both accessible and affordable housing that is also safe. Having no cabinet minister responsible for disability doesn't just impact future policy, said Yat Li, a B.C.-based advocate who is hard of hearing, "it threatens to unravel years of hard-won progress led by former ministers who took over this portfolio, specifically advancing accessibility and disability in Canada," he said. "We cannot let this recent news take us a step backwards. Even though the cabinet ministry doesn't include a minister of disability, we need to continue to have a collective voice, continue to urge and ensure that a cabinet minister is explicitly tasked with the responsibility of advancing disability rights in Canada." Add disability to another portfolio, Lepofsky suggests Lepofsky is also the chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, which is calling on Canadians to email the prime minister's office to express their thoughts on the lack of a disability minister. He said the group would be happy if disability were added to one of the existing portfolios, but doesn't want to see the issue given to a secretary of state. "They are not full cabinet members. They don't go to all cabinet meetings. We need a watchdog in every cabinet meeting."
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Canada Federal Elections 2025: List of Indian-origin candidates contesting
Indian-origin candidates contesting for Canada Federal election Today, Canadians head to the polls in the country's 45th federal election, with the Liberal and Conservative parties engaged in a tight race for power. The election features several high-profile party leaders, including Mark Carney, who leads the Liberal Party as the incumbent prime minister following Justin Trudeau's departure from politics. The Conservative Party is helmed by Pierre Poilievre, a Calgary representative with nearly two decades of parliamentary experience. The Bloc Québécois continues under the leadership of Yves-François Blanchet, who has held the position since 2019. Meanwhile, Jagmeet Singh leads the New Democratic Party, making history as the first Sikh and visible minority leader of a major Canadian political party. This election represents a significant turning point in Canadian politics, as it marks the first time in recent years that Justin Trudeau's name will not appear on the ballot. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Her body cannot endure this level of pain; please help her. Donate For Health Learn More Undo The Indian-Canadian community wields considerable electoral influence, with more than 65 candidates of Indian origin competing for seats in the House of Commons. Here's a full list of Indian-origin candidates vying for the Canadian federal election in 2025: Liberal Party of Canada Anita Anand - Oakville Riding Priti Obhrai Martin - Calgary East Bardish Chagger - Waterloo Kamal Khera - Brampton West Amarjeet Sohi - Edmonton Southeast Randeep Singh Sarai - Surrey Centre Sukh Dhaliwal - Surrey Newton Param Bains - Richmond East - Steveston Rahul Walia - Winnipeg Centre Maninder Sidhu - Brampton East Amandeep Sodhi - Brampton Centre Anju Dhillon - Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle Gurbux Saini - Fleetwood-Port Kells Iqwinder Gaheer - Mississauga-Malton Ruby Sahota - Brampton North – Caledon Sonia Sidhu - Brampton South Sunjiv Raval - Calgary Midnapore Conservative Party of Canada Jasraj Singh Hallan - Calgary East Shuvaloy Majumdar - Calgary Heritage Paramjit Gill - Milton East - Halton Hills Tim Uppal - Edmonton Gateway Sukhman Singh Gill - Abbotsford-South Langley riding Jaspreet Sahota - Delta Gurvir Khaira - Guelph Bharamtor Singh - Brampton East Suchita Jalan - Scarborough-Guildwood Gurmit Sandhu - Scarborough North Bijay Paudel – Humber River—Black Creek Barbara Bal – Nepean Taranpreet Chahal - Brampton Centre Amandeep Judge - Brampton North—Caledon Sukhdeep Kang - Brampton South Amarjeet Gill - Brampton West Anitpal Kang - Mississauga East—Cooksville Jaspreet Sandhu - Mississauga - Malton Arpan Khanna – Oxford Harbinder Gill - Windsor West Jagsharan Singh Mahal - Edmonton Southeast Dalwinder Gill - Calgary McKnight Amanpreet Singh Gill - Calgary Skyview Sukh Pandher - Fleetwood—Port Kells Rajvir Dhillon - Surrey Centre Harjit Singh Gill - Surrey Newton Abhishek Nayyar - Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby Ravinder Bhatia - Vancouver –Kingsway New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh - Burnaby Central Rajesh Angral - Calgary Skyview Shyam Shukla – Nepean Rajesh Angral - Calgary Skyview Vanessa Sharma – Cloverdale—Langley City Rai Singh Toor - Surrey Newton Manoj Bhangu - Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby Sukhminder Sahota - Vancouver-Granville People's Party of Canada Harninder Dhillon - Calgary East Vageesh Sabharwal – King Vaughan Harsimran Hundal - Brampton Centre Jayesh Brahmbhatt - Brampton Chinguacousy Park Arbind Lal - Brampton East Sat Anand - Brampton North-Calendon Amit Gupta - Mississauga East—Cooksville Green Party of Canada Sarun Balaranjan - Etobicoke North Independent Ashok Patel - Edmonton Gateway Minesh Kumar Patel - Calgary Skyview
