Sonia Sidhu
MP
Member of Parliament
for Brampton South
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded byNew district
Personal details
BornIndia
Political partyLiberal
SpouseGurjit
ResidenceBrampton, Ontario[1]
Websitessidhu.liberal.ca

Satinderpal "Sonia" Sidhu MP is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal electoral district of Brampton South during the 2015 Canadian federal election.[2][3][4]

Early life

Born in India, Sidhu arrived in Canada in 1992.[5]

Political career

Sonia Sidhu is the Member of Parliament for Brampton South. She was elected on October 19, 2015 as the Liberal candidate.[6] Before politics, she worked for over 18 years in the healthcare field as a diabetes educator and research coordinator. Sonia has worked as a volunteer on political campaigns at all three levels of government, and she also volunteered with numerous organisations.[7]

In Parliament, she sits on the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Health, and also was appointed to sit as a member of the Special Committee on Pay Equity. She is Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women as well as the Chair and the Liberal caucus champion for the All-Party Diabetes Caucus. MP Sidhu is also the General-Secretary of the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and an executive member of both the Canada-Poland and Canada-Portugal Parliamentary Friendship Groups. She further sits as a member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.[8]

During the 43rd Canadian Parliament Sidhu's private member bill An Act to establish a national framework for diabetes (Bill C-237) was adopted to require the Minister of Health, within one year, to develop a framework to improve access to information on diabetes prevention and treatment.[9] The framework was tabled in the House of Commons on October 5, 2022 which outlines a common policy direction for diabetes across the country.[10]

Sidhu was one of five Ontario Liberal MPs to call on the federal government to work with provinces and territories to establish and implement enforceable national standards for long-term care homes in Canada.[11] The 2020 Speech from the Throne committed the Government of Canada to work with the provinces and territories to set new, national standards for LTC so that seniors get the best support possible.[12]

During the 44th Canadian Parliament, Sidhu put a motion on notice in the House of Commons (M-82) pertaining to active living in Canada.[13] She also made a call to action calling on all MPs to end the practice of gender-based heckling in the House of Commons.[14]

Throughout her time in office, Sidhu has been vocal around women's rights, health care outcomes, and affordable housing, always supporting and voting in favor of progressive legislation aimed at advancing these issues.[15] She spoke against Bill C-311, put forward by the Conservative Member from Yorkton—Melville, which she said was a thinly veiled attempt to reopen Canada's abortion debate.[16]

Personal life

She lives in her riding of Brampton South with her husband, Gurjit. She has twin daughters and a son.[17]

Electoral record

2019 Canadian federal election: Brampton South
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sonia Sidhu 24,085 49.47 -2.62 $92,936.55
Conservative Ramandeep Brar 13,828 28.40 -6.64 $98,182.77
New Democratic Mandeep Kaur 7,985 16.40 +5.75 $53,224.68
Green Karen Fraser 1,926 3.95 +1.73 none listed
People's Rajwinder Ghuman 354 0.72 none listed
Christian Heritage Wavey Mercer 285 0.58 none listed
Canada's Fourth Front Mitesh Joshi 152 0.31 $8,217.30
Marxist–Leninist Dagmar Sullivan 68 0.13 $20.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 48,863 100.0
Total rejected ballots 583
Turnout 49,266 62.76
Eligible voters 78,487
Liberal hold Swing +2.01
Source: Elections Canada[18][19]
2015 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sonia Sidhu 23,681 52.1 – –
Conservative Kyle Seeback 15,929 35.0 – –
New Democratic Amarjit Sangha 4,843 10.7 – –
Green Shaun Hatton 1,011 2.2 – –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 45,464 100.0     $203,710.69
Total rejected ballots 270 – –
Turnout 45,734 – –
Eligible voters 72,111
Source: Elections Canada[20][21]

References

  1. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  2. ^ Lewis, Michael (October 20, 2015). "Liberal Sonia Sidhu wins Brampton South". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  3. ^ "19 Indian-Canadians elected to Canadian parliament". The Economic Times. October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  4. ^ Belgrave, Roger (October 20, 2015). "Liberals reclaim Brampton in stunning federal election victory". Brampton Guardian. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  5. ^ Biography - Sonia Sidhu soniasidhu.ca
  6. ^ "Liberal Sonia Sidhu wins Brampton South | Toronto Star". thestar.com. October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  7. ^ "Biography | Sonia Sidhu | Your member of parliament for Brampton South". ssidhu.liberal.ca. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  8. ^ "Sonia Sidhu". www.parl.gc.ca. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  9. ^ Pinkerton, Charlie (July 6, 2021). "How the 43rd Parliament changed Canada's laws". IPolitics.
  10. ^ Canada, Public Health Agency of (October 5, 2022). "Framework for diabetes in Canada". www.canada.ca. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Bryden, Joan (May 29, 2020). "Liberal MPs call for national standards for long-term care homes". CBC News. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  12. ^ Canada, Health (January 31, 2023). "Statement by Ministers Duclos and Khera on Long-Term Care Standards". www.canada.ca. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  13. ^ "M-82 Active living 44th Parliament, 1st Session - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  14. ^ "Debates (Hansard) No. 208 - June 7, 2023 (44-1) - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  15. ^ "Votes - Sonia Sidhu - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  16. ^ "Debates (Hansard) No. 212 - June 13, 2023 (44-1) - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  17. ^ "Biography | Sonia Sidhu | Your member of parliament for Brampton South". ssidhu.liberal.ca. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  18. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  19. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  20. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Brampton South, 30 September 2015
  21. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sonia Sidhu.
Members of the House of Commons of Canada
Categories