Federal election proves visible minority women can win in Oakville, says Anand
Published September 21, 2021 at 4:23 pm
Oakville is Liberal red today after a sweep in Tuesday night’s 2021 Canadian Federal Election.
Both incumbent MPs Anita Anand and Pam Damoff outpaced their runner-up Conservative opponents as part of a red wave in the Greater Toronto Area that helped the Liberals maintain a minority government.
Anand celebrated her win at the Oakville Power Boating Club, thanking volunteers who had campaigned for her.
“It is a complete honour and privilege to represent this amazing town,” said the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and the Receiver General for Canada. “You know, back in 2019 when the door opened a little bit for me to run in Oakville, I felt like I couldn’t say no because Oakville is such an incredible place and I felt it would be an honour to be the federal representative here.
“I am so grateful that this town has entrusted their confidence in me once again.”
Anand defeated Conservative candidate Kerry Colborne in her Oakville riding, collecting 45.8 per cent or 26,2013 total votes with 254 of the 255 polls reporting.
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Colborne had 22,929 votes for 40.1 per cent. NDP candidate Jerome Adamo was third with 8.9 per cent of the vote (5,083) and PPC candidate JD Meaney a distant fourth with just 3.4 per cent (1,927).
Anand said people had told her that she couldn’t win in Oakville as a visible minority woman.
The Liberal MP is from a cross-cultural family. Her late mother, Dr. Saroj Daulat Ram, was Punjabi and her father, Dr. Sundaram Vivek Anand, is Tamil.
“They were wrong, clearly,” the re-elected MP told supporters. “Visible minority women can win in Oakville and they can win across the country.
“I thank Oakville and I thank you for believing in representation that is diverse and inclusive. That’s what we have to show the rest of Canada is possible just like we’re doing here in Oakville.”
Damoff beat Conservative candidate Hanan Rizkalla convincingly in the Oakville North-Burlington riding. With 202 of 203 polls reporting, the Liberal incumbent has 46.4 per cent (29,303) of the votes, topping the 38.3 per cent (24,226) by her Conservative runner-up.
NDP candidate Lenaee Dupuis was third with 10 per cent of votes (6,324). followed by the PPC candidate Gilbert Jubinville at 3.8 per cent (2,386) and Green Party candidate Bruno Sousa at 1.5 per cent (978).
It’s the third term for Damoff, who celebrated her win last night at the Tin Cup in Burlington.
Dupuis congratulated the Liberal MP for her win.
“I look forward working with you on shared priorities, which I know are many,” Damoff responded to her NDP opponent on Twitter. “It’s not easy to put your name on the ballot, and you have been a terrific representative for your (NDP) Party.”
