A pluralistic conversation with the NDP’S leader and a Liberal minister
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Ahmed Hussen, minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, have more in common than the tinge of their skin.
Both were born in the 1970s, both are lawyers, and both made history as they entered the realm of politics.
As the first Sikh to run for prime minister, Singh has either been exoticized or dubbed “just another politician.” Speaking about this, he said, “People get pushed into the non-dominant category and are made to feel like they’re othered because of not just the colour of their skin, but the country of their origin, the languages they speak or can’t speak, their sexuality, their gender.”
For Minister Hussen — the first Somali-canadian to be elected into parliament and hold a federal cabinet position — the entry into politics was a means to achieve the desired outcome in public services such as social housing and transit. He relied on these things as a newcomer to the country and attributes such services to help him achieve an education.
Elaborating his thoughts on being a brown person in the country’s largest race to leadership, he told me, “For me… what people think of me as my identity, that’s up to them. I try to educate as much as I can, but I can’t help when people project things onto you. What I can do is focus on the job on hand and make sure I never get politics in the way of public service. Which is why I’m doing this.”
The ride hasn’t been easy for Singh. A Nanos survey that questioned Canadians “Which one of the following federal party leaders do you believe is most ethical?” provided the NDP leader with 6.1 per cent, the least rating amongst his peers. This was recorded after the stance taken by Andrew Scheer on the Liberals’ carbon tax plan and the SNC Lavalin debacle.
“There’s a lot of people who are qualified and talented and are ethical and competent but aren’t considered that simply because of the way they look or what they wear, their accent or where they’re from, and that to me is a big problem because I think we’re missing out on their contribution,” said Singh, elaborating his thoughts on the above-mentioned statistic.
“If we actually had people living their best lives and expressing their full potential, we all benefit when that happens in society,” said Singh.
Echoing these thoughts, Hussen elaborated that the more kinds of people involved in all aspects of life, the better it is.
“We have to constantly aspire to a better Canada that includes everyone, whether it is indigenous peoples, newcomers, women…that everyone is represented in the economy. So, inclusion is a choice. I think it’s the right choice, the smart choice. We need to constantly push for,” he said.
‘BETTER IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE’
Despite this strong, vocal support for having a plethora of voices around decision-making tables coming from the highest echelon of both parties, a look at the candidates in the race for democratic leadership in Atlantic Canada makes it evident that this is one of the fewest regions in the country where diversity – gender, abilities, colour, and sexual orientation – has a chance of forming a significant portion of the electorate.
Hussen said that situations such as these are always a challenge for political leadership, making them question which voices are unheard or unseen around a table or in a room.
“Better is always possible when it comes to including more people, more perspectives and more experiences, and it takes a certain kind of political leader ... or culture or leadership within political parties to always demand that their structures go out and seek out who is not included in the process,” he said.
‘Celebrate your neighbour’s culture’
While the aspiration for a better Canada rings through loud and clear through both their voices, some approaches seem to vary.
With 30 per cent of Canadian statutory holidays based in one religion, despite multiculturalism being the hallmark, it hasn’t quite imprinted itself in the social and cultural fabric completely.
And not just immigrant and settler cultures, there isn’t a designated statutory holiday for indigenous cultures. So, are we truly multicultural if our holidays don’t reflect that diversity?
“It’s an interesting question because our holidays absolutely don’t reflect that, and it’s something that we should look on and reflect on,” said Singh.
Adding that Canadians could all gain from having such a unique and rich experience from cultures within and outside Canada, he felt it would be beneficial to the social and cultural fabric of Canada to share and partake in each other’s culture.
“I think that we should look at better ways to integrate as a society and, for me, integration means keeping your identity and who you are, but being able to enjoy and celebrate your neighbour’s culture and identity. And so, to do that — that’s my kind of definition of integration is where we get to enjoy and learn from each other and so — I would definitely push that in figuring ways to do that better,” Singh elaborated.
While Hussen couldn’t provide a specific answer on the policies of the Liberals on particular holidays, he pointed out the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project. Speaking about this initiative, which allows employers to hire foreign skilled workers and international graduates that want to stay in the region, he said, “You’re seeing the success … and it’s resulting in a more welcoming Atlantic Canada, but also a more positive attitude towards immigration, towards newcomers (and) towards the other.”
‘HOPING TO INSPIRE’
For Hussen, this political ride has reinforced the importance of government, especially the outcome achieved when it listens to its people. Excited about the progress they have attained in the last four years, he said, “It really has shown me that, despite all the challenges we have, we are way ahead of many other societies and countries and we’re very fortunate to have a country that is committed to democracy, gender equality and the rule of law. That’s a very precious thing in the world today.”
For the first Sikh Canadian to run for prime minister, this journey hasn’t been a bed of roses. On this ride, Singh has been able to observe that Canadians — irrespective of colour — are troubled by similar problems. He said the issues of housing, healthcare, and climate change unite everyone.
Understanding the responsibility laden on his shoulders, he added, “I hope the same way I could have only imagined myself in this position only because of other people who broke barriers, I am hoping to inspire a whole bunch of people, a whole new generation of future leaders who can imagine themselves not only as the leader of this country but leaders in their own fields arts, culture, music, science, tech, business, law, healthcare, whatever it is, I want people to imagine themselves breaking any barrier they see in their way.”
The Conservative Party of Canada and The Green Party of Canada were contacted. However, neither was able to provide a comment for this piece.
Prajwala Dixit is an Indian-canadian engineer, journalist, and writer in St. John’s, N.L., who writes a biweekly regional column for the Saltwire Network. When she isn’t engineering ways to save the world, she can be found running behind her toddler, writing, and volunteering. Follow her and reach her at @Dixitprajwala.