Jagmeet Singh

Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal (born January 2, 1979) is a Canadian politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2017 to 2025 and as the member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby South from 2019 to 2025. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2011, representing Bramalea—Gore—Malton until his entry into federal politics. A Canadian-born practising Sikh of Punjabi descent, he was the first non-white politician to be elected to lead a major federal political party in Canada.

After graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School, Singh became a criminal defence lawyer, starting a law firm with his brother Gurratan. In 2011 his political career began when he contested the 2011 federal election in the federal riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton which resulted in a narrow victory for Conservative opponent Bal Gosal; he became a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the overlapping provincial riding later that year. In 2015, he became deputy leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, serving under leader Andrea Horwath until 2017. Singh announced his candidacy for the federal New Democratic Party leadership following a leadership review that resulted in a leadership election to replace Tom Mulcair. Singh was elected leader on October 1, 2017, with a first round vote of 53.8 per cent in a field of four.

Upon his election, Singh became the first person of a visible minority group to lead a major Canadian federal political party on a permanent basis, and the second overall after the Bloc Québécois’s former interim leader Vivian Barbot. Singh is also the first turban-wearing Sikh to sit as a provincial legislator in Ontario. He has been widely recognized in Canadian media for his fashion and style sense. Ideologically, Singh identifies as both a progressive and a social democrat. In the 2019 federal election, the New Democrats under Singh lost 15 seats and dropped from third party to fourth party status. In the 2021 federal election, the NDP gained one seat and remained the fourth party. In 2022, his party signed a confidence and supply agreement with the governing Liberal Party, which resulted in the enactment of the Canadian Dental Care Plan and a framework for national pharmacare; in 2024, the NDP terminated the agreement.

At the 2025 federal election, Singh led the NDP to its worst result in party history, losing official party status and being himself defeated in the riding of Burnaby Central. On election night, he announced that he would resign as party leader; he was replaced by Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies on an interim basis until a new party leader is elected.

Early life and education (1979–2006)

Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal was born on January 2, 1979 in the city of Scarborough, Ontario, now a district of Toronto, to Indian immigrants, Harmeet Kaur and Jagtaran Dhaliwal. His parents are both from the Malwa region of the Indian state of Punjab, with his mother being from Ghudani Khurd in Ludhiana district, while his father is from Thikriwala in Barnala district. Singh belongs to the Dhaliwal clan of Jat Sikhs.

Singh's great-grandfather was Sewa Singh Thikriwala, a political activist who campaigned for the cause of Indian independence. Another great-grandfather, Hira Singh, served in World War I and World War II in the Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army. After a year as a toddler living with his grandparents in India, Singh spent his early childhood in St. John's and Grand Falls-Windsor, both in Newfoundland and Labrador, before relocating with his family to Windsor, Ontario. Singh has publicly discussed suffering sexual abuse as a child from a martial arts coach, as well as having a father who struggled with alcoholism.

From grades 6 to 12, Singh attended Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Michigan. He went on to obtain a B.Sc. degree in biology from the University of Western Ontario in 2001 and in 2005 graduated as a Bachelor of Laws from York University's Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the bar of Ontario in 2006.

Singh has two younger siblings, brother Gurratan and sister Manjot, who were both born during the family's time in Newfoundland. Gurratan Singh was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 Ontario election, representing the riding of Brampton East.

Early career (2006–2011)

Singh worked as a criminal defence lawyer in the Greater Toronto Area before entering politics, first at the law firm Pinkofskys, then at his own practice, Singh Law, which he established with Gurratan. In a Toronto Star article published on January 9, 2012, Singh stated that his background in criminal defence contributed to his decision to enter politics, particularly his work advocating for the protection of rights entrenched in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Singh provided pro bono consulting to an activist group that protested the visit to Canada of Kamal Nath, the former Indian trade minister who had allegedly led armed counter terrorist groups, against Sikh separatists, during the 1984 Delhi riots. After failing to get their views heard, Singh was inspired to run for office by the activist group so their concerns could be better represented.

Singh began his political career with his decision to run for member of Parliament in the 2011 federal election as the NDP candidate in the riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton. During the election, Singh stopped using his surname, Dhaliwal (which is connected to caste), because he wanted to signal his rejection of the inequality inherent in the caste system. Instead, he chose to use the more common Singh. Although he was defeated by Conservative candidate Bal Gosal by 539 votes, Singh finished ahead of incumbent Liberal MP, Gurbax Singh Malhi.

Provincial politics (2011–2017)

First term (2011–2014)

Election

Singh ran in the 2011 Ontario provincial election as the NDP candidate in the overlapping provincial riding, defeating Liberal incumbent Kuldip Kular by 2,277 votes. Singh became the first New Democrat elected to represent the Peel Region, as well as the first turban-wearing MPP. In the 40th Parliament of Ontario, Singh was appointed as the NDP critic for the attorney general and consumer services portfolios. He also served as his party's deputy house leader.

Activities

Singh called for greater police accountability and demanded the provincial government draft legislation to strengthen Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU). He criticized the attorney general in 2011 after the release of a report by the ombudsman, André Marin, that found the province had undermined the SIU. Singh said, "The comprehensive failure of the ministry to address concerns about the SIU and give it a proper mandate is simply unacceptable, and I expect immediate action from the new Attorney General."

In March 2012, Singh introduced a private member's bill, "An Act to Amend the Insurance Act", to address high auto insurance rates. This bill would have ended the industry practice of basing insurance rates on geographic location. The bill received numerous complaints that it would have raised rates in rural and Northern Ontario and failed to pass second reading.

In May 2012, Singh introduced a private member's bill called "An Act to amend the Consumer Protection Act, 2002" to address high fees on overseas money transfers. The bill died on the order paper when the legislature was prorogued in September 2012.

In March 2013, Singh introduced a motion calling on the Liberal government to reduce auto insurance premiums by 15 percent. Singh's motion was passed by the legislature, and the 15 percent reduction was to be included in the Liberal government's 2013 budget.

In December 2013, legislation introduced by Singh to have the month of April recognized as Sikh Heritage Month in the province of Ontario was passed by the legislature.

Second term (2014–2017)

Re-election

Singh won his riding in 2014 with 43.6 per cent of the vote, beating Liberal challenger Kuldip Kular, whom Singh had unseated in 2011, and PC challenger Harjit Jaswal.

Activities

In November 2014, Singh voted against the government's legislation entitled "Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Rates Act", after arguing there were major shortcomings in the legislation regarding the driver's right to sue auto insurance companies. Singh said, "removing more protections for people is not the right way to go, it's a significant loss of our rights, and this is not a good bill."

In March 2015, during the Ontario sex education curriculum controversy, Singh spoke out against changes to the curriculum which had not been updated since 1998 and proposal changes on teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity. Singh said he disagreed with the "age appropriateness of some materials" and a "mistake on the Liberal government’s part" and "disrespectful to parents".