Omar Alghabra
Encyclopedia
Omar Alghabra is a Canadian
politician, who represented the riding of Mississauga—Erindale
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 2006 to 2008.
Alghabra graduated from Ryerson University
with a degree in engineering and in 2000 received his Master of Business Administration
from York University
.
He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2006 election
as a member of the Liberal
caucus, and was an active organizer for Gerard Kennedy
's leadership bid. He was the opposition critic for Citizenship and Immigration, and later for Natural Resources.
He was narrowly defeated by Bob Dechert
in the 2008 election
, and again in the 2011 election by a more decisive margin.
.
The National Post
stated that Alghabra promotes himself by "humour and self-deprecation to win over voters. Rather than vilify his opponents, Alghabra is establishing himself in the public mind in a positive sense, before he can be trashed by competitors."
According to an editorial in The Globe and Mail
, Alghabra's "combination of biographical information and self-deprecating humour stands in contrast to the aggressive attack ads currently in rotation on the federal stage."
On Canadian democracy, Alghabra stated:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, who represented the riding of Mississauga—Erindale
Mississauga—Erindale
Mississauga—Erindale is a federalelectoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It was created in 2003 from parts of Mississauga Centre and Mississauga West ridings....
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 2006 to 2008.
Alghabra graduated from Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
with a degree in engineering and in 2000 received his Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
.
He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
as a member of the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
caucus, and was an active organizer for Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
's leadership bid. He was the opposition critic for Citizenship and Immigration, and later for Natural Resources.
He was narrowly defeated by Bob Dechert
Bob Dechert
Robert "Bob" Dechert is a Canadian politician and lawyer. He represents the electoral district of Mississauga—Erindale in the House of Commons of Canada. He is a member of the Conservative Party.-Political history:...
in the 2008 election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, and again in the 2011 election by a more decisive margin.
Campaigning
Omar Alghabra's Who is Omar Alghabra video has been praised by several newspapers and a second video, How to Pronounce Omar Alghabra, was featured on CBC’s Power & PoliticsPower & Politics
Power & Politics is a Canadian television newscast that debuted October 26, 2009 on CBC News Network. Hosted by Evan Solomon, the show airs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays....
.
The National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
stated that Alghabra promotes himself by "humour and self-deprecation to win over voters. Rather than vilify his opponents, Alghabra is establishing himself in the public mind in a positive sense, before he can be trashed by competitors."
According to an editorial in The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Alghabra's "combination of biographical information and self-deprecating humour stands in contrast to the aggressive attack ads currently in rotation on the federal stage."
Views
In 2010, Alghabra identified key issues on his platform:- Ending poverty in Mississauga; Alghabra states that one out of five children in Mississauga live in poverty
- Reduce the unemploymentUnemploymentUnemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
rate; Alghabra quotes a 2010 figure of around 10%. - Integration of immigrantsImmigrationImmigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
; Alghabra said he would work towards the recognition of foreign credentials.
On Canadian democracy, Alghabra stated:
I was raised in areas where they don't believe in democracy and civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, cultures of equality and justice, and there is no belief that a citizen has the power over their own destiny...now I have a unique appreciation for Canada and what Canada has to offer, so it is that passion about striving to protect the idea and the noble concept of democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
.