New Delhi: Chandra Arya, the India-born Member of Parliament in Canada, Thursday announced his intention to run for the post of Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party, following Justin Trudeau’s resignation as PM earlier this week.
“I am running to be the next Prime Minister of Canada, to lead a small and more efficient government, to rebuild our nation and secure prosperity for future generations. I have always worked hard for what is best for Canadians,” Arya said in a video on social media.
“We are facing significant structural problems that haven’t been seen for generations and solving them will require tough choices. I have always worked hard for what is best for Canadians, and for the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must make bold decisions that are absolutely necessary,” he added.
Arya, who hails from Dwarlu village in Karnataka, about 70 km away from capital Bengaluru, emigrated to Canada about two decades ago along with his wife and son. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a graduate degree in business administration.
Arya was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 2015 as part of the Liberal wave led by Trudeau. The Liberal Party had then won the majority of seats.
Arya has remained a member of the party and is one of the loudest voices against Sikh extremism in Canada, previously arguing for the Trudeau government to offer reassurances to the Hindu community living in the nation.
Arya offered his vision on dealing with Sikh separatists in his statement, promising to “criminalise the glorification of terrorists, extremism and terrorist organisations”.
In recent years, a number of Sikh separatist groups in Canada have glorified the assassins of former Indian PM Indira Gandhi and threatened Indian diplomats working in the country.
“Today, many Canadian families are falling behind. Our economic growth and fiscal strength are not benefitting many Canadians. The rich are getting richer, while the middle class is struggling,” said Arya in his statement outlining his policies as the next leader of Canada.
He further pitched himself as a leader who would make decisions “based on merit” and not “DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) quotas”.
In his statement, Arya also railed against the broken immigration system, arguing that in the past the country allowed in skilled labour, while today there are “too many unqualified, cheap labour as temporary residents”.
The statement is a rebuke of the Trudeau government, which since 2022 uncapped the number of temporary workers to be allowed into the country. The government last year had to walk back its changes to the immigration system, following the migration explosion which saw the largest population growth in Canada in 2023 since 1957.
The growing population exacerbated a housing crisis, one of the major reasons for the Liberal Party’s falling poll numbers. The poor poll numbers and the resignation of deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland last month were some of the reasons that led Trudeau to resign as PM.
The Parliament of Canada has been prorogued till 24 March, allowing the Liberal Party a little more than two months to select a leader to replace Trudeau. He will continue to lead the country till the next PM is selected by the party.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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