Jagmeet Singh is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has made significant contributions to both provincial and federal politics. He currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Burnaby South and is the leader of the New Democratic Party. With a strong background in law and a passion for social justice, Singh has been a vocal advocate for progressive policies such as a progressive tax system, a $15/hour minimum wage, LGBTQ rights, and reducing carbon emissions. As the first turban-wearing MPP and the first person of a visible minority group to lead a major Canadian federal political party, Singh has broken barriers and continues to fight for social equality and inclusivity.
Quick Facts
- Canadian Celebrities Born In January
- Also Known As: Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal
- Age: 44 Years, 44 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu (m. 2018)
- Father: Jagtaran Singh
- Mother: Harmeet Kaur
- Lawyers
- Political Leaders
- Ancestry: Indian Canadian
- City: Scarborough, Canada
- Notable Alumni: University Of Western Ontario, York University
- Education: University Of Western Ontario, York University
Childhood & Early Life
Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal was born on January 2, 1979, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada to Harmeet Kaur and Jagtaran Singh. His parents are originally from Punjab, India. He has a younger brother named Gurratan, who is also a lawyer and politician, and a sister named Manjot.
As an infant, Singh lived for a year in India with his grandparents. He later spent years in Newfoundland and Labrador before relocating with his family to Windsor, Ontario. He completed his high school education at the Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Michigan, in 1997. He then earned a B.Sc. degree in biology from the University of Western Ontario in 2001.
Singh attended York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree in 2005. The following year, he was called to the Bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada. He began his career as a criminal defense lawyer at the law firm Pinkofskys in the Greater Toronto Area. Later, he and his brother Gurratan established Singh Law. As a lawyer, he offered free legal rights seminars and provided pro bono legal counsel.
Political Career
Jagmeet Singh decided to launch his political career after failing to draw the attention of officials while protesting the visit of Indian trade minister Kamal Nath, who had allegedly persecuted Sikhs, to Canada. In the 2011 federal election, he ran as the NDP candidate in the riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton and finished ahead of his Liberal competitor, although he experienced a marginal loss to the Conservative candidate.
In the 2011 Ontario provincial election, Singh defeated Liberal incumbent Kuldip Kular as the NDP candidate in the overlapping provincial riding. He became the first Ontario NDP MPP to represent the Peel Region. As the NDP critic for the Attorney General of Ontario and the Consumer Services, he successfully passed a motion in March 2013 calling on the Liberal government to reduce auto insurance premiums by 15%. In December 2013, his motion to have the month of April recognized as Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario was accepted by the legislature. He also voted against the ‘Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Rates Act’ in November 2014, arguing that it would significantly reduce the rights of drivers.
Singh advocated for greater police accountability and called for new legislation to strengthen Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU). In October 2015, the legislature unanimously passed his motion to end arbitrary street checks by police services in Ontario.
On May 15, 2017, Singh announced his intention to run for the leadership of his party at a campaign launch in Brampton. He won the 2017 New Democratic Party leadership election on October 1, 2017, with 53.8% of the vote. A video of him handling a heckler accusing him of plotting to subject Canada to sharia law contributed to his first ballot win.
He initially opted out of the tradition of entering the House of Commons by winning a by-election in a ‘safe seat’ and announced his intention to run in Brampton East. However, he eventually ran in a by-election to replace Kennedy Stewart as the Member of Parliament for Burnaby South and won with 38.9% of the vote on February 25, 2019.
Family & Personal Life
On February 22, 2018, Jagmeet Singh married fashion designer and international humanitarian worker Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu. She is the co-founder of the Punjabi clothing line ‘jangiiro’. Singh’s grandfather, Sewa Singh Thikriwala, was a freedom fighter who fought against British occupation in India.