Conservative Power Players Deny Former MP Gurmant Grewal, Banquet Hall Owner Paul Brar From Seeking Cloverdale-Langley City Nomination At The Last Minute Without Any Reason

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Despite The Nomination Snub, Grewal Remains Loyal To PM Harper And Party!

BC Conservative power players have denied two  Indo-Canadian candidates – former MP Gurmant Grewal and Paul Brar – by disqualifying them from seeking the nomination without giving any reasons for the denial. The reasons are fairly clear that Conservative insiders knew that their candidate, which rumours suggest is a “White Candidate”, had no chance of winning after Grewal and Brar signed up thousands of members after being okayed by the party to do so. There are also reports that a third Indo-Canadian candidate former MLA Dave Hayer is also being pressured to leave the riding but he doesn’t have as many members and don’t pose as much of a challenge as Brar and especially Grewal, who was expected to win the party nomination on Saturday. The sad thing is that now those same Conservative insiders are phoning Grewal and Brar’s members to support their “White Candidate.”

By R. Paul Dhillon

SURREY – Former MP Gurmant Grewal will not be seeking the Conservative Party nomination, which is scheduled to take place this Saturday,  in the new riding of Cloverdale-Langley City and it is not his choice but the choice of BC Conservative power players who have denied him as well as another Indo-Canadian candidate Paul Brar by disqualifying them from seeking the nomination without giving any reasons for the denial.

The reasons are fairly clear that Conservative insiders knew that their candidate, which rumours suggest is a “White Candidate”, had no chance of winning after Grewal and Brar signed up thousands of members after being okayed by the party to do so.

There are also reports that a third Indo-Canadian candidate former MLA Dave Hayer is also being pressured to leave the riding but he doesn’t have as many members and don’t pose as much of a challenge as Brar and especially Grewal, who was expected to win the party nomination on Saturday. The sad thing is that now those same Conservative insiders are phoning Grewal and Brar’s members to support their “White Candidate.”

Grewal told the LINK that after receiving membership lists given to the approved candidates, the Party notified Grewal of his disqualification: “no reason(s) was given.”

In February 2013, Grewal was the first candidate to announce his intention to seek the nomination for the new electoral district, the majority of which he represented as an MP for Surrey-Central from 1997 to 2004 prior to representing Newton-North Delta for the third term till 2006.

He has since campaigned and attracted a significant number of new members for the Party.

“I was very encouraged by the overwhelming support I received residents. They appreciated my past track record of hard work, as a strong voice in Parliament raising important  issues, and the contribution I made to my country, community and Party,” Grewal said in a release.

In 1997, Grewal was one of the first visible minority candidates for the Reform Party: worked very hard on outreach in Canada’s cultural communities and defended the Party against charges of racism. He was a member of the small group of MPs who initiated merger talks that eventually resulted in the creation of the new Conservative Party of Canada.

He held senior positions including Deputy House Leader, and Chief Critic for Foreign Affairs, Multiculturalism, and International Development. Grewal was one of the only two opposition MPs to chair a Parliamentary committee. He introduced about 50 Bills and Motions, many of which passed votes in the House. His regulatory reform legislation Bill C-205 received Royal Assent, the only Bill from a member of the Canadian Alliance to become law.

“Gurmant: A solid contribution to the laws of Canada by the Ironman of our caucus,” said Stephen Harper, then the Opposition Leader.

Grewal has been a solution-oriented politician and had raised numerous issues that his Party has adapted including, recognition of foreign credentials, excessive right-of-landing fees on new immigrants, taxes on taxes, whistleblower protection, protection of firefighters, visitor’s visa reforms, visa scams in foreign missions, emergency preparedness, Air India Inquiry, Komagata Maru redress, de-hyphenation of Canadians and respect for human rights among many others. He has been a passionate participant in Parliamentary debates and in fact was one of the most frequent speakers in the House.

Grewal met with over 50 heads of states and raised many international issues. He was invited to attend many international conferences including on Globalization, and APEC; and on state visits by the Governor General and Prime Ministers of Canada, He was instrumental in restoring diplomatic ties between Canada and India and easing the trade sanctions imposed by the previous Liberal government in 1998 after the nuclear tests conducted by India.

In 2012, Grewal was conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in Political Science and Diplomacy by Caucasus University in Georgia. He was presented with the World Sikh Award as a professional in London, UK in 2012, and was listed 26th most influential Sikh in the world.

Harper, while Opposition Leader in 2003 made a statement during Question Period highlighting the contributions of Grewal, and calling him the “Ironman of Canadian Parliament”.

“I am proud of my record, achievements, and contributions and hoped to bring meaningful solutions to the problems faced by all of us. I have dedicated the prime of my life to helping to build the Conservative Party and its legacy parties. Though my silence is not my weakness, I have supported my Party and its leaders through thick and thin. I continue to support the Conservative Party of Canada and the Leadership of Prime Minister and wish them success in the next election” said Grewal.