“Job creation and improving the economy is the main concern for voters,”

Martin Singh is a pharmacist and successful businessman with strong values of community service. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, he worked in his father’s community pharmacy from an early age. With his brother Nathan, they expanded to a second location before creating a new company with more partners and bigger plans. Today, Martin’s company employs 400 people in more than 20 locations across Ontario and Nova Scotia. Dedicated to giving back to his community, Martin has served on non-profit boards at the local, provincial and national levels. As a high-profile pharmacist, Martin is a strong voice for better public health care. He has also chaired the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and has been a board member for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Martin is a Captain in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves and a devout member of the Sikh faith. He has university degrees in chemistry, chemical engineering and pharmacy, as well as a Masters of Business Administration. Martin and his wife Amandeep have chosen Brampton as the community in which to raise their three children.

1. What are the top three core areas of your riding that you would like to address?

A.Voters in Brampton North are sharing with me that they feel their lives have not improved under the Harper Conservatives.  We, in the NDP, plan to address through a comprehensive plan to improve the quality of lives of Canadians.  When we go door-to-door, job creation and improving the economy is the main concern for voters.  The second core area of concern shared with me by voters is to reduce the cost of living.  The NDP’s plan to reduce the cost of child care in Brampton is an example of the NDP’s cost saving plan for families.  The third area of concern shared with our campaign by voters is the fact that the immigration is causing a huge amount of pain and frustration.  The NDP is committed to a plan that will allow families to be together. In an exclusive interview with The Weekly Asian Connections NDP Candidate Martin Singh shares

1. Why should the voters of the riding cast their ballot in your favour?
2. The NDP has a plan that offers all Canadians an opportunity to improve their lives.  For young Canadians and their families, the $15 a day child care allows for affordable child care for all families.  This is particularly important in Brampton given that Brampton has the most expensive child care in Canada.  As we move into our adult lives, the NDP is committed to creating the jobs we need to be able to provide for our families.  The NDP recognizes that small business in Canada creates 80% of jobs.  To assist small business in creating jobs, the NDP will be reducing the federal small business tax from 11% to 9%.  In addition, the NDP is committed to improving our manufacturing sector.  Brampton has a strong history as a manufacturing hub and will benefit directly for an NDP government. Upon retirement, the NDP is committed to ensure that our seniors do not live in poverty.  Specifically, the NDP will reduce the age for old age benefits from 67 to 65.  This change will provide thousands of extra dollars to each of our seniors to ensure they live with dignity.

Throughout our lives, we want to ensure that we get to spend time with our family, friends, and others we care about.  The NDP is committed to ensuring that Canada has a fair immigration system that allows families to live together and be together for important events like weddings.

1. How will Canada be different if the NDP forms a government at Ottawa?
2. Canada will be different with an NDP government in that policy will be developed that benefits all Canadians rather than a select few Conservative insiders.  Improving the quality of life for all Canadians will be the goal and this is reflected in the good plan being presented by NDP Leader, Tom Mulcair.

“We made a commitment not to appoint any new Senators unless the Provinces elect them,”