Punjabi radio and TV man Harpreet Singh will face off against another political newcomer Charn Johal for the Conservative Nomination for the federal riding of Surrey-Newton.
By R. Paul Dhillon
SURREY – Punjabi radio and TV man Harpreet Singh will face off against another political newcomer Charn Johal for the Conservative Nomination for the federal riding of Surrey-Newton.
The riding is currently held by NDP’s Jinny Sims and has former Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal as a candidate, clawing to win the riding back for the Liberals after a massive nomination fight recently with Liberal membership swelling to nearly 23,000 members in the riding and nomination turnout of over 6500 people.
“I feel strongly that the time has come to cross the line and enter federal politics to serve the community,” says Singh, a relatively newcomer to Canada who has made a profile in the local Indo-Canadian community largely through his role in the media as a radio and TV man.
Singh’s challenger Johal is ready to face him in the nomination, having been busy signing up members.
Johal, whose family has lived in the Newton area since 1989 with his late father being a very active member of the community and political scene in Surrey, is an ICBC Supervisor who has always had a passion for politics and decided that the time was right to take the plunge
“I strongly believe in being an active member of my community and making a positive impact in Newton,” Johal told the LINK
“As a Newton resident since 1989, I share and understand the various issues my fellow residents care about the most. Surrey-Newton is one of the most diverse ridings in Canada, and I am blessed to have a personal network that expands across many different cultures, and ethnic backgrounds,” Johal added.
While Johal is a long time resident of Surrey, having grown up in Canada his entire life, Singh is a recent immigrant, who arrived in Canada in 2002. He said in his press release that he fell in love with this dynamic and diverse community.
“The journey from an immigrant to a television and radio host, political commentator, writer, producer and a businessman, has been an amazing one and thus is a true Canadian story. Along with his wife and two children, he has experienced the challenges the riding offers. He cherishes regional, cultural and socio-economic diversity of Canada that the riding embraces,” Singh said in a press release.
Singh said he is pursuing the candidacy in the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) because of his faith in the values and core beliefs of the party.
“It is my true belief as an immigrant to this great country that the backbone of this society is based on creating sustainable opportunities for our citizens. My values concur with the core philosophies of the CPC, which include stability for families, long term employment, and sustainable economic change,” Singh said in a press release.
Meanwhile Johal said he believes his work ethic is his biggest asset, and he believes that his dedication will allow him to work with residents to help Surrey-Newton move in the right direction.
“Like you, I too want to see results in Surrey-Newton and will do everything in my power to see those goals through,” Johal said. “For over 10 years, I have volunteered as a coach, official and organizer for youth sports at local clubs and Newton-area schools. Surrey-Newton is where I’ve called home for the last two decades, and want to run for the Conservative Party nomination in the riding, to further serve my community.”
The Surrey-Newton Conservative nomination date has been scheduled so far but the deadline for membership is January 29 with candidate registration forms due next Friday, January 23.
There are rumours that Singh is the favoured candidate due to his close relationship with one of the Conservative party’s Indo-Canadian outreach workers, who herself is thinking of running in the Surrey-North (now Surrey-Centre) riding after losing in the last election from Newton-North Delta. This cosy relationship worries Johal, who is hoping for a clean nomination process after the membership has closed.
