1. Candidate Bio:
Martin Singh is running to be your City Councillor for wards 7 & 8.
With 4 university degrees (Bachelor degrees in Chemistry, Pharmacy, and Chemical Engineering as well as an MBA), Martin has the educational background and experience to find the solutions to the challenges facing Brampton.
Martin Singh’s business background and career includes building a healthcare business that grew to 500 employees in five years and includes pharmacies and care facilities in both Ontario and Nova Scotia. This is the type of experience and innovation Brampton needs to ensure the growth of jobs, the economy, and other business opportunities for Bramptonians.
Martin brings his experience as a Captain in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves where he works and volunteers with the 557 Lorne Scots Cadet Corps, building leadership skills in Brampton’s youth.
“I will work to increase the number of jobs in Brampton. Many people are struggling to find a job that pays enough to survive and save for tomorrow. For those people who do have jobs, many of them have to travel outside of the city to work. Travelling outside of Brampton for work increases their personal costs, contributes to the persistent traffic problems, and decreases their quality of life.
Crime and justice is a deep concern of mine. With crime increasing in our city, I will work to ensure Brampton gets its fair share of police officers who are dedicated to protecting the community. Along with increased enforcement, I will work to address other social problems such as poverty, inequality, and the lack of affordable services and opportunities for our young people.
Many do not know that they have a city councillor they can turn to for help. Many do not know of all the services and resources that the City of Brampton provides. I will work to make City Hall accessible and make the residents of our city aware of what their City Councillor is able to do for them.”
2. What are your three top priorities for Brampton?
My three top priorities for Brampton and the residents of wards 7 & 8 are to create jobs, reduce crime, and make residents aware of the services available through City Hall.
3. What is one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that you agree with?
The one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that I agree with is accepting the university into Brampton.
4. What is one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that you disagree with?
The one major council decision from the previous (2014-2018) term that I disagree with is not accepting the LRT.
5. Are there any other ideas from other cities that you would like to see replicated in Brampton?
I am not sure that there are ideas in other cities that can be used as a template on Brampton given our unique strengths and challenges. However, there are some strategic initiatives that we may like to consider. One such initiative is an innovative method used to tackle violence in the community. Rather than take credit for the work of others, I shall simply provide the link here.
6. What are your top transportation priorities to ease congestion and gridlock in the city of Brampton and connections to other communities?
With a new council, we have the ability to vote again on the LRT funding. Certainly, the provincial government would have to be convinced to come back to the table, but this is the most important transportation priority that we can have. Beyond this, work needs to be done to the quality of public transit inside our city. The communities and streets at the periphery are not well served. This lack of service goes beyond the traditional challenges with first mile/last mile issues
7. What are your thoughts on the Brampton 2040 Vision and how should the city proceed with the vision?
I had the benefit of participating in the Brampton 2040 Vision and there are many very good ideas contained therein. However, the most important piece for implementing any part of the plan is ensuring council members work together for the betterment of the city. This has, unfortunately, not been the case for the past number of years. No matter how good the idea is, if council is not working together, then there will be little chance of success. The LRT decision is a case in point.
8. What is your position on the city’s finances and how would you tackle demands for services and infrastructure renewal?
The city’s finances need an overhaul. This was clear over the past year when we learned that management had been paying out bonuses to themselves without any knowledge or oversight by the elected councillors. Once the true cost of running and improving the city has been established, then the financing for new services and infrastructure projects.
It is important to note that the dysfunction in council has had a strong impact on our ability to secure funds from either the provincial or federal governments. This is an important consideration as funding, like the $400 million LRT investment, that comes from other governments does not then have to be supported by the property taxes of the residents of Brampton.
9. What are your thoughts on how the city/region should handle the alleged uptick of spontaneous youth violence and crime in the city?
For whatever option we choose, we want to ensure that the methods chosen have been proven to be effective. Any new initiative will come at a cost to the property tax payer and we need to be very cautious when spending the taxpayer’s money. The article that I mentioned above applies in this case as well. There are specific things that can be done to tackle youth violence and crime. In the interest of ensuring that credit is given to those doing the work of finding solutions, I will repost that article here.
10. Why should voters vote for you?
I will be a very responsive city councillor who works to meet the needs of the residents of wards 7 & 8 and the city at large. Residents will be able to approach me with their concerns that are particular their street or community. I will also be working on broader issues like creating and bringing jobs to Brampton, reducing crime through increased enforcement and tackling the root causes of crime, and ensuring residents are aware of the services available from City Hall.
Candidate contact info:
Phone: 416-937-4166
Email: martin@martinsingh.ca
Website: Link here
