 Print
Where does Sixty Seven Muslim Canadians fit in this election
9-08-2021
Canadians will be electing a new government on September 20, 2021. Although the consensus is that this is an unnecessary election in middle of a pandemic and nothing more than merely, a power grab by the Justin Trudeau’s Liberals. The Liberals are banking on one thing that the Canadians will reward them on success in managing the Covid. The Govt. is counting on the Covid assistance money they’ve giving away at the expense of C$314.0 Billion budget deficit in fiscal year 2020/21.
It is this freefall spending that has proven to be an Achilles heel for Trudeau government and their chances of clinching a majority. Summed up in an article by the BNN Bloomberg headlined, “Bank of Canada becoming an ATM for Trudeau.” The biggest one of all, pumping nearly C$55.1 Billion in purchasing mortgage-backed securities through a controversial and historically proven to be dangerous fiscal policy known as “Quantitative Easing” aka QE. This has resulted the housing market soar creating what many financial experts would say, the “Housing Bubble,” which when busted would cause an economic carnage just as it has done to other economies which flirted with QE in past, mainly, Japan (1980’s) contributing to the stock market crash in 1992, and United States, in early 2000’s contributing to 2008 financial crises. Thus, it is just a matter of time – it’s not a matter of IF, rather when the Canadian financial world would rock due to Trudeau government’s frivolous, limitless, and unchecked spending. Many experts feel this could be one of the reasons why the Trudeau government was so anxious to take Canadians to the polls.
In short, the “fiscal stimulus” injected into the Canadian economy through Covid assistance which the Trudeau government was banking on re-election for the majority has in fact become the biggest stumbling block for them due to rising inflation, mind-boggling housing affordability, and future generation of Canadians hankered down with unimaginable debt.
Large number of Canadians have been left out of the housing markets along with the millennials who are stuck with the debt Trudeau government treating BoC as its ATM with limitless line of credit.
In the last general elections, eighteen ridings were decided on less than 1000 votes and ten ridings were decided with less than 500 votes. Therefore, Trudeau government is treading on thin ice.
So where do Muslim Canadians fit in all this. Despite this overall general election in Canada has seen a rise in Muslim voters participation not only as voters but taking part as becoming the agent of change from all political spectrums, running as candidates from all of the large parties platforms.
Alameen Post has compiled a list of all the different parties across Canada where sixty-Seven Muslims Canadians are running as candidates.
If we look at it from the party’s perspective as to which party has the most Muslim candidates on their list, Liberal Party of Canada has the most candidates running as candidates at twenty-one, followed by the NDP at twenty.
The Conservatives have nine Muslim candidates, and Green party has Seven. Both the Peoples Party and the Centrist Party has three Muslim candidates, and Bloc Quebecois and independent stand at two.
However, the distribution of Muslim candidates across Canada is not reflective of Muslim Canadian population. Nonetheless, there are improvements and as Muslim Canadians we should focus on the positive aspect and upward trajectory of Muslim’s involvement in Canadian politics at a federal level.
Provincewide, Ontario takes the lead with thirty-eight Muslim candidates out of sixty-seven candidates – 55%. Quebec at fifteen – 22%. Followed by Alberta with seven and BC with Seven Muslim candidates. Both Manitoba and Nova Scotia at one each. Therefore, out of ten provinces and three territories, four provinces, mainly Atlantic provinces, and Saskatchewan as well as three territories have no Muslim candidates.
Another tragedy is that many of the ridings where parties have given Muslim candidates to run on their platform have traditionally been second or third runner ups in previous elections. So, if the voting pattern holds, which in most cases does hold. The chances of these candidates being elected are very slim. The Muslim community needs to make an effort and strive turn into something meaningful to make place in political parties where parties would consider giving opportunities to Muslim candidates to run on their slates where there is a faint chance of Muslim candidate being elected and not just come up as second or third runner-up. Unfortunately, we as a community have managed to get our people to the slate but it does need a lot more effort to get elected on election day.
Another interesting thing to note is that ridings that are considered of having substantial Muslim population several parties have run candidates in the same riding. Thus, splitting the Muslim vote and making way for a third party to find crevice and succeed. Therefore, denying Muslim community an elected member at the federal level.
There are at least eight ridings where two candidates are going tete-a-tete, and Milton, Ontario remains the only riding where three Canadian Muslim Candidates are vying to become and elected official from the NDP, Conservatives, and Peoples Party of Canada.
Its just less than two weeks left when the Canadians will find out who forms the government and whether the Canadians will punish or reward the Trudeau government for Covid management and fiscal mismanagement. We shall also watch closely as to how many of these sixty-seven Muslim candidates do get elected.
Until then, we say what we have been saying from the day one, Go Out and Vote – it does not matter who you vote for. The important thing is that Canadian Muslim Voters make their presence known as an active participant in Canadian politics.
Footnotes:
|