Ruby Dhalla, a candidate for Liberal Party leadership and potential prime ministerial position in Canada, made a firm statement on Tuesday regarding her stance on illegal immigration, promising deportation if elected.
On the social media platform X, Dhalla stated, “As Prime Minister, I will deport illegal immigrants and clamp down on human traffickers. That’s my promise to you.”
Dhalla, an Indian-origin former MP, represented the now-defunct riding of Brampton-Springdale from 2004 to 2011. She officially entered the race to replace Justin Trudeau as the Liberal Party leader and potentially the next prime minister of Canada.
In another post, Dhalla shared a video on X, where she said, “Thank you so much, thank you to God, I am so grateful to all of you. We are on the verge of creating history by electing the first woman of color as the leader of the Liberal Party and the next prime minister of Canada.”
Dhalla also added, “Phase 1 is over, we go on to phase 2 and engage with liberals all across the country, who have signed up as members of our party. I’m incredibly excited to be officially accepted as a candidate by the Liberal Party. My candidacy will engage an entirely new demographic of people into our party and into the Canadian political system.”
“Dhalla made history as the first woman of Indian-origin elected as an MP for three terms and is now aiming to be the first Canadian prime minister of colour,” read a release from her campaign team.
In her campaign release, Dhalla outlined her vision for the future. “I look forward to standing up for Canadians and fighting for Canada. As leader, I will bring the party back into the hands of the members and return it to the centre with practical solutions to the challenges that Canadians are facing. If you want real change from a leader who is not connected to the current administration and has the ability to shake up the system, then join the Liberal party and join me,” she said.
She faces strong competition from high-profile contenders such as former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney and former minister of finance and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Dhalla later moved to Ontario where she pursued a career as a chiropractor before transitioning into politics during the era of former Prime Minister Paul Martin.
She describes herself as a “self-made businesswoman and entrepreneur” who is passionate about the Liberal Party and Canada.
Whoever wins the Liberal Party leadership race will be sworn in as Canada’s next prime minister, although the position is contingent on the outcome of the next federal election, as the winner will only lead the country if the Liberals are re-elected, according to Brampton Guardian.
The next prime minister and party leader will be announced on March 9.