Brampton North MPP Kevin Yarde leaving NDP to sit as independent

Brampton | Caledon | Mississauga | Latest News | Politics |

By

Published April 22, 2022 at 3:28 pm

Brampton MPP Kevin Yarde is breaking ties with the Ontario NDP and will sit as an independent after losing a nomination battle in his own riding earlier this month.

“After careful discussion with my family I have decided to sit as an independent member in the Ontario legislature,” Yarde said on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

“I will continue to represent the people of Brampton North until my term of office ends June 2, 2022. I want to thank my constituents for their support.”

A former television weatherman and the first Black member of provincial parliament in Peel Region, Yarde was beat out for the party nomination in Brampton North earlier this month to Sandeep Singh.

Yarde won the riding for the Ontario NDP (ONDP) in 2018 and was elected by just 497 votes over Ontario PC Party candidate Ripudaman Dhillon.

Members in the riding selected Singh over the incumbent Yarde on April 7 during a virtual nomination meeting.

An ONDP media release described Singh as a “human rights advocate (who) has experience running a small business.”

After Singh was voted to replaced Yarde on the 2022 ballot, members of the Ontario NDP’s Black Caucus voiced their displeasure with the nomination on Twitter.

“This week has been anything but OK,” Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo said in a Tweet. “Leadership is ensuring someone who needs help gets it.”

Yarde has not said whether he will run as an idependent in the upcoming election or bow out of the race.

The other three parties that have seats at Queen’s Park have already nominated candidates in the riding.

Graham McGregor is running for the Ford-led Ontario PCs. Harinder Malhi is the Liberals’ candidate, and Aneep Dhade is running for the Green Party of Ontario.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising