Liberal’s strong show in Brampton: Party bigwigs throw their weight behind Sukhwant Thethi
By Shazia Malik
BRAMPTON — South Asian community’s star candidate leader Sukhwant Thethi who was nominated Ontario Liberal candidate for Brampton South was hosted by the Muslim-Canadian community on Monday evening. Around 700 people from all over GTA and beyond had come to support him in the next provincial election to be held in June 2018. The event was attended by Ontario’s Minister of Finance Charles Sousa; Ontario’s Attorney General Yasir Naqvi; Ontario’s Transport Minister Steven Del Duca; MPP Amrit Mangat; MPP Harinder Malhi; MP Sonia Sidhu; MP Ramesh Sangha; Brampton’s Regional Councillor Matin Medeiros among others.
Thethi was overwhelmed by the response of the community and especially thanked the Canadian-Muslim community for their all out support and shared his experience of visiting Lahore, Pakistan. Speaking passionately about his experiences as a new Canadian, he thanked the Liberal party for its policies of increasing minimum wage to support Ontarians, lower taxes, enhanced childcare benefit, infrastructural development and many more. He said as the father of two daughters in university he knows what it means to pay high university fees.
Thus he commended the new provincial financial aid program that covers fees for those from lower-income families. He said under this programme more than 210,000 Ontario students are going to college or university tuition-free this school year — roughly one-third of those who study full-time. He said from the very beginning the Liberal values attracted him and after deciding to join politics, this party was his choice. Speaking on the occasion, Ontario’s Minister of Finance Charles Sousa; added: “Sukhwant for long has been fighting for fighting for a fairness and will strengthen the Liberal presence in Brampton South.”
He added the infrastructural investment in GTA shows the Liberal commitment to offer better lifestyle to people with new transit, hospitals, and schools rubbishing allegations that the Liberal party is going overboard with spending. Sousa said: “If people need a hospital or a school or better transit service now, it cannot be delayed.” He said he will announce a balanced budget as costs for the first time have been brought under control in a way that was never done before.
Ontario’s Attorney General Yasir Naqvi, who had come from Ottawa especially to support Sukhwant, said: “I know Sukhwant. He has been very close to the community and worked hard. Knowing the issues of the residents of that area, his will be a stronger voice at the Queen’s Park.”
Ontario’s Transport Minister Steven Del Duca said: “Sukhwant is the right person to raise the issues of his community at Queen’s Park. He shares the same values as that of the Liberal party and would be able to work for the community in a better way by highlighting their issues at Queen’s Park.” MPP Amrit Mangat and MPP Harinder Malhi also maintained that Sukhwant would add to the already strong Liberal presence in Brampton and strengthen party ties with community.
Sukhwant Thethi immigrated to Canada from India in 1995. He has worked in food service, manufacturing, and owns a small business. He is now a mortgage specialist with the Royal Bank of Canada. Thethi believes strongly in giving back to the community that has given him so much opportunity. He volunteers and fundraises for causes that include the Peel Multicultural Council, the United Way, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and other organisations working to improve local health care. He also serves on the advisory board to select Ontario Justices of the Peace. Sukhwant Thethi and his wife, Rajinder, are the proud parents of two university-age daughters, Gurleen and Amarjot.
