Gurratan Singh received the NDP nomination for Brampton East Monday night and made the announcement with one of his biggest supporters at his side: his brother Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
Gurratan Singh made the announcement in front of Brampton Civic with not only his brother, but also Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath.
“I launched this campaign at Brampton Civic Hospital because we’re going to take on hallway medicine — and Andrea Horwath’s vision for better health care is inspiring,” said Gurratan Singh.
“Decades of Conservative and Liberal governments have slashed hospital funding, closed hospital beds and fired front-line health care providers. And I know it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s time for universal pharmacare and dental care for everyone — and a premier that will deliver.”
Gurratan Singh will run in the newly created Brampton East riding, which holds a large base of constituents from his brother’s former riding of Bramalea—Malton—Gore, as well as Brampton-Springdale, a riding created in 2007 that has always been held by a Liberal MPP.
Jagmeet Singh was the first Ontario NDP to be nominated in the 905 area when he won his seat back in 2011. He remained the only NDP MPP in Peel up until his departure last year when he won Federal NDP leadership. Gurratan Singh will look to maintain this NDP stronghold come June.
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There’s little doubt health care will continue to be a big topic of conversation for Gurratan Singh and the NDP in the coming months. Horwath echoed his sentiments on the topic saying, “He’s a part of this community, and he knows how critical it is to tackle the issues that matter to Brampton families – like the overcrowding at Brampton Civic Hospital and sky-high auto insurance rates. And after years of Conservative and Liberal governments making health care and affordability worse, it’s time to do something completely different.”
Singh will contend for the MPP seat against PC Candidate Simmer Sandhu and Liberal candidate Parminder Singh.