Ten months after he was elected leader of the federal NDP, Jagmeet Singh announced Wednesday that he will run for a seat at the House of Commons in an upcoming byelection in the Burnaby South riding.
“I’m running because the Liberals haven’t done what people need, and the Conservatives won’t do what’s right,” Singh said.
Singh was elected leader of the federal NDP on Oct. 1, 2017, replacing Tom Mulcair; but not being an MP, he did not get a seat at the House of Commons.
Today I’m announcing my intention to run in the upcoming by-election in Burnaby South.
From housing to healthcare, the people of Burnaby & all of Canada need solutions today – and the NDP will do everything we can to make a real difference, for more people. Here's why: #cdnpoli
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) August 8, 2018
The seat will be vacated by NDP MP Kennedy Stewart, who announced on August 1 that he will be running for mayor in the upcoming Vancouver municipal election.
As promised, I've submitted my resignation letter. I'll continue my MP duties until Sept 14 when I officially file as a #Vancouver mayoral candidate. It's been a great honour to serve my constituents for the last seven years. #ndp #vanpoli pic.twitter.com/C7met4YYTa
— Kennedy Stewart (@kennedystewart) August 2, 2018
Prior to his election as leader, Singh was elected to the provincial parliament in Ontario in 2011, and later served as both the Deputy House Leader and Deputy Leader of the Ontario NDP from 2015–17.
As leader of the federal NDP, Singh has made income inequality, electoral reform, Indigenous reconciliation, and climate change central tenets of his platform.
He is also an outspoken critic of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which has been met with significant protest in Burnaby.
A date for the byelection has not been set. Singh said that should he win the byelection, he will move to the area.
