By Muhammad Hamza, Paige Peacock – Native Journalism Initiative Reporter & Joel Wittnebel
Feb 10, 2025
– Brampton, Mississauga
There are 11 seats in Brampton and Mississauga, and with the provincial election formally underway following Doug Ford’s resolution to dissolve Parliament early and ship Ontarians to the polls on February 27, Canada’s vote-rich seventh and ninth largest cities are set to turn into fashionable locations for social gathering leaders and candidates over the subsequent 29 days.
Ford was in Brampton simply final week making a promise to lastly push the Hurontario LRT into town’s downtown core. It was a pledge that didn’t have any funding hooked up to it.
NDP Chief Marit Stiles was in Brampton on Monday saying that if elected, on her first day as premier she would eradicate Freeway 407 tolls on the provincially-owned sections, and open negotiations with the homeowners of the roadway to chop the tolls totally.
Liberal Chief Bonnie Crombie, who guarantees to match each Ontarian with a household physician (the Ontario Medical Affiliation says greater than 2.5 million individuals within the province do not need one and that determine is on observe to succeed in 4.4 million subsequent yr), has introduced she shall be operating within the using of Mississauga East—Cooksville, beforehand held by PC MPP Kaleed Rasheed, who resigned from the Social gathering after offering inconsistent proof to Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner who investigated the Greenbelt scandal.
Ford has loved rising recognition throughout the province for the reason that scandal devastated his approval scores, and has had a snug lead over each Stiles and Crombie based on polls. However current knowledge, based on surveys taken because it was clear there could be an early election, present that may very well be beginning to shift as some Ontarians point out they aren’t proud of Ford’s resolution to drive a snap winter marketing campaign.
During the last week, Ford has acquired criticism from advocates, opposition politicians and labour teams. They’ve labelled him a political opportunist, utilizing the tariff menace from Donald Trump as an excuse to cement 4 extra years in energy as a substitute of doing the job of fixing points like housing, healthcare and schooling that are his major accountability.
Critics have blown holes by means of his justification, mentioning that Ford and his PCs, who have already got a robust majority authorities, don’t require an early election mandate to take care of Trump.
His opponents have pointed to 2 causes for the choice, each are political: the concern of operating in 2026 with a Conservative federal authorities in place by then (and no efficient counter steadiness within the nation’s largest province); and the potential for legal charges towards members of the PC Social gathering when the RCMP concludes its ongoing investigation into the Greenbelt scandal.
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) known as the early election “reckless and irresponsible”, and accused Ford of specializing in politics as a substitute of really mobilizing to organize for the affect of any tariffs.
“It’s not Doug Ford who will pay the price for these tariffs; it’s Ontario workers, their families, and the communities they call home. British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba have all established tariff tables to address the threat to jobs and communities. It’s time Ontario followed suit,” Laura Walton, President of the OFL, mentioned in a press launch.
Ford’s declare that he requires a “strong mandate” so as to fight 4 years of Trump has additionally been criticized. The PC authorities already has a robust majority at Queen’s Park, and each Crombie and Stiles said they’d cooperate with any stimulus package deal put collectively to assist companies and industries take care of the tariff menace, not that the PCs want their cooperation, with their overwhelming majority.
Now, residents in Brampton and Mississauga, two cities that have been utterly blue after the final election, could have 29 days to resolve if they need 4 extra years of Ford.
In Mississauga, other than Rasheed, every of the PC incumbents shall be searching for reelection, and the vast majority of ridings formally have challengers from each the Liberal Social gathering and Ontario Greens. The NDP have but to call a single candidate within the metropolis.
In Brampton, the 5 PC incumbents are all searching for reelection, and as of Tuesday the enjoying area seems pretty sparse.
With the marketing campaign formally underway, right here’s a take a look at the candidates throughout Brampton and Mississauga.
Mississauga—Streetsville
PC: Nina Tangri (I)
LIB: Jill Promoli
GR: Christopher Hill
NDP: Shoaib Khawar
Liberal candidate Jill Promoli and Inexperienced social gathering candidate Chris Hill shall be going up towards PC incumbent Nina Tangri. Because the Mississauga—Streetsville consultant since 2018, Tangri has served in a number of roles with the PCs, together with Affiliate Minister of Small Enterprise and Pink Tape discount, Affiliate Minister of Housing and most not too long ago Affiliate Minister of Small Enterprise. She was an entrepreneur and small enterprise proprietor with over 30 years expertise in monetary administration previous to entering into the political realm. Improvement has been excessive on the record of priorities for the incumbent candidate, however she has been criticized for her lack of consideration to the surroundings.
Liberal Jill Promoli presently serves as a faculty board trustee for the Peel District College Board. As a resident of Mississauga for almost 15 years, she beforehand ran because the Liberal candidate for Mississauga—Streetsville within the 2022 provincial election. She has dissatisfied supporters who have been informed she could be a robust voice for correct illustration on the troubled board, earlier than going silent on key points round discrimination as soon as she was elected. Previous to assuming her position as trustee, Promoli labored for RBC in Toronto and taught ESL in South Korea earlier than shifting on to handle her personal enterprise.
Inexperienced social gathering candidate Christopher Hill, who has been a Streetsville resident for over 30 years, beforehand ran federally for the Inexperienced social gathering in three elections — 2011, 2015 and 2019 — within the Mississauga—Streetsville using. In 2021, forward of the federal election vote, he was the one candidate to obviously state he wouldn’t assist Freeway 413. He has a masters of Enterprise Administration from the College of Toronto and has labored with numerous municipalities on environmental management, together with the Metropolis of Toronto, Metropolis of Hamilton and the Metropolis of Guelph.
Mississauga—Malton
PC: Deepak Anand (I)
LIB: Jawad Haroon
GR: Shellina Esmail
NDP: Gerard MacDonald
In a neighborhood wealthy in variety and sophisticated wants, Mississauga—Malton would profit from a robust voice to signify what has historically been an neglected neighborhood. Throughout his second time period, incumbent Deepak Anand has labored as a parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance and a parliamentary assistant to the Affiliate Minister of Small Enterprise.
The PC incumbent shall be pitted towards Liberal candidate Jawad Haroon and Inexperienced Social gathering candidate Shellina Esmail. Haroon, who has resided in Malton for the reason that Nineties, holds a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering and is knowledgeable engineer with a 15-year profession within the power trade. He presently works as a program supervisor and can be a part-time lecturer at a college in Toronto. Throughout his time in Malton, Haroon has served because the director of the Mississauga-Malton Provincial Liberal Affiliation and committee member for the Malton Neighborhood Constructing Challenge Community.
Gerard MacDonald has been named the NDP’s first candidate in Mississauga for the Mississauga—Malton using, based on the social gathering’s spokesperson.
The Pointer was unable to seek out any details about Esmail.
Waseem Ahmed has been nominated by the Ontario NDP to signify the social gathering within the Mississauga—Malton using. He additionally ran for the NDP within the 2022 provincial election, campaigning on making housing extra inexpensive and fixing the healthcare, house care and long-term care methods. In response to a earlier biography on the NDP’s web site, Ahmed is an entrepreneur and runs an IT enterprise within the using.
Mississauga—Lakeshore
PC: Rudy Cuzzetto (I)
LIB: Elizabeth Mendes
GR: Julia Budahazy
NDP: Spencer Ki
PC incumbent Rudy Cuzzetto will as soon as once more be vying for the lakefront using. Since being elected to workplace in 2018, Cuzzetto has served as a member of a number of standing committees and has acted as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Vitality and Electrification since March 2024.
Cuzzetto will go up towards Liberal Social gathering candidates Elizabeth Mendes and Inexperienced Social gathering candidate Julia Budahazy. A lifelong resident, small-business proprietor, and mom, Mendes has expertise in public coverage and advocacy with a background as director of coverage and funds on the Ministry of Finance. Previous to working with the provincial authorities within the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, and at last as Director of Coverage and Finances on the Ministry of Finance, Mendes graduated from the College of Toronto. Mendes now leads her personal small enterprise and beforehand served on the board of a not-for-profit long-term care house.
Julia Budahazy has been named the Inexperienced Social gathering candidate for the using. In response to the social gathering’s web site, Budahazy is a multilingual skilled with a background in actual property, instructing, advertising and public relations. She presently works for Co-operators, offering monetary providers and recommendation. A resident of Mississauga—Lakeshore since 2008, the Inexperienced Social gathering candidate carries a ardour for sustainability.
Mississauga Centre
PC: Natalia Kusendova-Bashta (I)
LIB: Sumira Malik
GR: Robert Chan
NDP: Waseem Ahmed
Natalia Kusendova shall be searching for re-election for Mississauga Centre. Kusendova has held the place of Minister of Lengthy-Time period Care since June 2024 and has served on a number of standing committees, together with the standing committee on social coverage (which she later chaired), the standing committee on justice coverage and was vice-chair of the standing committee on common authorities after she participated as a member.
Additionally vying for the using is Inexperienced Social gathering candidate Robert Chan who ran because the Mississauga — Malton candidate within the 2022 common election.
No Liberal Social gathering candidate has been nominated as of January 29.
Sumira Malik has been named the Ontario Liberal Social gathering’s candidate for Mississauga—Centre. She was beforehand a analysis assistant at Harvard College and ran for the Liberals within the 2022 provincial election towards Kusendova. As an advocate for psychological well being, Malik has expertise volunteering in hospitals, clinics, homeless shelters, meals banks and charitable organizations from a younger age.
Mississauga East—Cooksville
PC: Sylvia Gualtieri
LIB: Bonnie Crombie
GR: ?
NDP: Alex Venuto
The PCs have named Silvia Gualtieri because the candidate for Mississauga—Cooksville, entering into the place after Kaleed Rasheed introduced late final yr he wouldn’t be searching for reelection following his resignation from the PC Social gathering.
Gualtieri is the mother-in-law of Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and sister of Cuzzetto, who can be vying to maintain his seat at Queen’s Park. The PC candidate and lifelong Mississauga resident was beforehand certainly one of eight contenders seeking to fill the empty Mississauga Ward 2 seat within the 2022 municipal election after Karen Ras resigned. Gualtieri was in the end crushed by Alvin Tedjo. She has spent a few years working behind the scenes in politics on the provincial and federal degree, serving as a marketing campaign supervisor and fundraising chair.
Chief of the Ontario Liberal Social gathering Bonnie Crombie shall be operating towards Gualtieri for the Mississauga East—Cooksville using. Previously the favored mayor of Mississauga, Crombie gained the Social gathering’s management race in late 2023. Previous to her decade-long profession as Mississauga’s mayor, Crombie sat as a councillor for Ward 5 and beforehand served federally because the Liberal consultant for the Mississauga—Streetsville using from 2008 to 2011. Previous to that the MBA holder had a protracted profession within the company world, as a public affairs skilled for Fortune 500 firms.
Mississauga—Erin Mills
PC: Sheref Sabawy (I)
LIB: Qasir Dar
GR: Adriane Franklin
NDP: Mubashir Rizvi
PC incumbent Sheref Sabawy has been a member of a number of standing committees since being elected in 2018. He was beforehand a parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Public and Enterprise Service Supply till March 2024 when he assumed the position of Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, which he has held since.
Liberal candidate Qasir Dar has a background in economics and instructing. In response to his web site, Dar began out on the gross sales flooring and labored his method as much as handle massive field shops in Mississauga earlier than transitioning right into a profession within the Authorities of Canada. Regionally, the Liberal candidate has served on the Churchill Meadows Residents Affiliation, organized fundraising campaigns for Meals Banks Mississauga and native hospitals and supported public well being consciousness campaigns.
Adriane Franklin has been named the Inexperienced Social gathering candidate. Franklin ran for the social gathering within the 2022 provincial election for Mississauga Centre.
Brampton Centre
PC: Charmaine Williams (I)
LIB: Martin Medeiros
GR: Pauline Thornham
NDP: Sukhamrit Singh
PC incumbent Charmaine Williams has one challenger to this point in Brampton Centre, the NDP’s Sukhamrit Singh.
Williams was first elected in June 2022, making the soar from Brampton Metropolis Corridor the place she served as a councillor, defeating NDP incumbent and deputy Social gathering chief Sara Singh in an upset. She has served because the Affiliate Minister of Girls’s Social and Financial Alternative since 2022. Earlier than coming into politics, Williams had a 19-year profession as a licensed Multi-Systemic Therapist, Behavioural Advisor, and Counselor.
Singh is coming into his first election marketing campaign.The NDP’s official web site states Singh is a reservist within the Canadian Armed Forces and pursuing regulation.
The Ontario Liberals have nominated Martin Medeiros because the candidate for Brampton Centre. He’s presently serving his third time period as a regional councillor for Wards 3 and 4 in Brampton. Medeiros has taken a depart of absence from his council duties whereas campaigning for the Liberals.
Pauline Thornham has been nominated because the Inexperienced Social gathering candidate for the Brampton Centre using. She is a former instructor with the Peel District College Board (PDSB) and has been a resident of Brampton for 40 years. An environmental advocate, Thornham has been concerned with a number of eco-groups, together with the Lively Transportation Advisory Committee of Brampton Council and BikeBrampton.
Brampton West
PC: Amarjot Sandhu (I)
LIB: Andrew Kania
GR: Ethan Russel
NDP: Sam Sarjeant
The competition in Brampton West options Liberal candidate Andrew Kania and PC incumbent Amarjot Sandhu. The NDP has not but finalized its consultant.
Sandhu was first elected in 2018 amid controversy, after being charged with working unlawful secondary models then failing to deal with the problems for a protracted interval. He had no work expertise and in his welcome speech inside Queen’s Park Sandhu described himself as a former worldwide pupil. He has largely served as a backbench MPP since then. He has served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure since June 2022.
Kania is a lawyer, longtime Liberal determine in Brampton and the previous Member of Parliament for Brampton West, holding the seat between 2008 and 2011. Throughout his time in workplace, he served because the Affiliate Justice Critic and was a member of Canada’s Standing Committee on Public Security and Nationwide Safety. Kania is the Senior Counsel at Kania Attorneys, a authorized follow made up of seven attorneys that gives providers to shoppers throughout Ontario.
Ethan Russel has been nominated because the contestant for the Inexperienced Social gathering within the Brampton West using. Russel is campaigning for honest wages, inexpensive housing, and higher assist for educators and households.
Brampton East
PC: Hardeep Grewal (I)
LIB: Vicky Dhillon
GR: ?
NDP: Martin Singh
In Brampton East, incumbent Hardeep Grewal is being challenged by the NDP’s Martin Singh and Liberal Vicky Dhillon. The Inexperienced Social gathering of Ontario has but to formally identify a candidate within the using.
Grewal, the incumbent, served because the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Tradition, and Gaming. His political journey started when he grew to become one of many youngest using presidents in Ontario PC historical past for Etobicoke North, subsequently serving because the regional director of the Ontario PC Fund.
Singh beforehand ran unsuccessfully within the 2018 election for Brampton Metropolis Council in Wards 7 and eight. He holds bachelor’s levels in chemistry, pharmacy and chemical engineering, and an MBA. He additionally serves as a pharmacist at Precision Well being Group. He has acquired recognition for his volunteer work with the Sierra Membership of Canada, Deliberate Parenthood, and the 557 Lorne Scots Military Cadets, the place he has mentored youths in Brampton.
Dhillon is the previous two-term Brampton metropolis councillor for Wards 9 and 10, first elected in 2006. He was closely criticized for supporting former mayor Susan Fennell throughout her quite a few controversies. Dhillon was a outstanding determine within the metropolis’s giant Punjabi-Canadian neighborhood throughout his time in workplace. He misplaced his council seat in 2014 and tried unsuccessfully to win it again in 2018.
Brampton North
PC: Graham McGregor
LIB: Ranjit Singh
GR: Sameera Khan
NDP: Ruby Zaman
In Brampton North, incumbent Graham McGregor is presently being challenged by Ruby Zaman with the NDP. The Liberals and Greens have but to call a candidate within the using.
Zaman, based on the NDP web site, is a truck driver who has first-hand expertise with Ontario’s insufficient assist methods for youngsters with particular wants. Throughout her marketing campaign remarks, she said, “It’s time to elect a team that will build the Ontario we all deserve.”
McGregor was first elected for the PCs within the June 2022 election. Just lately, he served as Affiliate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform, a task targeted on addressing rising crime charges and strengthening public security measures. McGregor is campaigning on a platform that prioritizes crime discount, financial development, and infrastructure enhancements for Brampton North.
The Inexperienced Social gathering of Ontario has nominated Sameera Khan because the candidate for Brampton North. Khan is a resident of the using with a background in schooling and pupil providers, holding management roles at York College and the College of Toronto and has worldwide instructing expertise from her time in South Korea.
Ranjit Singh is a former 2014 Brampton mayoral candidate and proprietor of Castlemore Golf Membership and Parkshore Golf Membership, Singh has been an lively volunteer with organizations comparable to CreditView Seniors Golf equipment, the Nationwide Allied Golf Associations, and numerous Indian and Punjabi associations.
Brampton South
PC: Prabmeet Sarkaria
LIB: Bhavik Parikh
GR: ?
NDP: Rajani Sharma
PC incumbent Prabmeet Sarkaria has represented the using since 2018 and has been the Ontario Minister of Transportation since final yr. He has been the face of Doug Ford’s highway-centric transportation agenda, tasked with pushing ahead the controversial Freeway 413 and Bradford Bypass tasks.
Electronic mail: [email protected]
Electronic mail: [email protected]
Electronic mail: [email protected]
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