Carney poaches Ontario NDP’s Doly Begum to run for seat vacated by Bill Blair

The deputy leader of the Ontario New Democrats is launching her bid to enter federal politics by running for the Liberals in the riding held for the last decade by Bill Blair.

Doly Begum represented the provincial riding of Scarborough Southwest for the NDP in Queen’s Park since 2018. She resigned on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming federal byelection.

“I’ve had the privilege to earn the trust and fight for the people of Scarborough Southwest for more than seven years as our MPP,” said Begum in a statement.

“I understand the priorities of our community, and at this crucial moment for our country, I believe we must come together to build a stronger, more united and more prosperous Canada.”

Blair, who held the federal riding of Scarborough Southwest since 2015, resigned from the House of Commons on Monday. 

In the spring he will take up his new role as the High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom.

Begum is the second byelection candidate announced by the federal Liberals so far this year. 

Last week, the party announced that family physician Dr. Danielle Martin will be their candidate for the upcoming byelection in University-Rosedale. 

That riding became vacant when former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland stepped down from her downtown Toronto seat last month.

A local candidate

Begum was born in the Sylhet region of northeastern Bangladesh and immigrated to Canada with her parents and younger brother as a child where she settled in Scarborough.

She did her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto before completing her master’s degree in development administration and planning from University College London in the U.K. 

Since returning to Scarborough, she has served as the co-chair of the Scarborough Health Coalition and vice-chair of Warden Woods Community Centre.

And in the Ontario legislature she has served as the Opposition critic for early learning and child care, deputy whip and shadow critic for public transit.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles issued a statement confirming that Begum had resigned and thanked the former New Democrat and her staff for their “excellent work.”

“Our party has been proud to represent the good people of Scarborough Southwest for the past eight years and look forward to continuing that representation,” Stiles said.

Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/doly-begum-scarborough-byelection-9.7072303?cmp=rss