Ujjal Dosanjh
Encyclopedia
Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC
, QC
, (ˈuːdʒəl doʊˈsɑːndʒ; born September 9, 1947) is a Sikh Canadian
lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia
from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada
Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health
from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost government. As a member of the Official Opposition
from January 2006 until 2011, Dosanjh variously has been the critic of National Defence, Public Safety, and Foreign Affairs, as well as sitting on Standing Committee on National Defence, the Committee on Public Safety and National Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, and the Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. Since January 2009, he has been a member of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
Prior to being involved in federal politics, he spent ten years in provincial politics. He was elected in the Vancouver-Kensington riding in 1991 as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) and re-elected there in 1996. He served as the Attorney General of British Columbia
from August 1995 to February 2000. When the leader of his party resigned in 1999, Dosanjh put himself forward as a candidate and won the leadership vote. With the win he became Canada's first Indo-Canadian provincial leader. He served as the 33rd Premier of British Columbia
until June 2001 when he lost the province's general election
.
Born in a village in the Jalandhar district
of Punjab, India, Dosanjh emigrated to the United Kingdom at the age of 17 before moving to Canada almost four years later. He worked numerous manual labour jobs and attended university, studying political science. He earned his law degree at the University of British Columbia
and opened his own law firm. He has been a vocal opponent of violence and extremism.
and the populist Indian National Congress
, and his grandfather, a former Indian freedom fighter and socialist. Dosanjh wanted to pursue an education in political science, but his father wanted him to be a doctor. So in 1964, at the age of 17, Dosanjh left India for the United Kingdom where he could pursue his own interests. In London he learned English and worked as an assistant editor for a Punjabi-language newspaper. He emigrated to Canada three and a half years later, arriving in British Columbia on May 12, 1968, to live with his aunt. majoring in political science. He went on to earn a law degree from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
in 1976 and was called to the bar the following year. During this time he taught English as a second language courses at Vancouver Community College
and worked as an assistant editor of a local Punjabi newspaper. He established his own law practice in 1979, specializing in family and personal injury law. His involvement with community organizations included founding the Farm Workers’ Legal Information Service (later Canadian Farm Workers' Union), serving on the board of directors for BC Civil Liberties Association
and the Vancouver Multicultural Society, and the Labour Advocacy Research Association, as well as volunteer work with MOSAIC Immigrant Services Centre, and the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House.
A prominent moderate Sikh
in Vancouver, Dosanjh spoke out against violence by Sikh extremists
who advocated Khalistan
independence from India. As a result of these views, in February 1985 he was attacked in the parking lot of his law office by an assailant wielding a iron bar. Dosanjh, 37 at the time, suffered a broken hand and received 80 stitches in his head.
He was targeted again, on December 26, 1999, while he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
, when his constituency office was broken into and a Molotov cocktail
left burning on a table.
Dosanjh and his wife Raminder have three sons. In April 2000, his middle son, Aseem, was charged with assaulting an Ontario police officer during a bar brawl, but was found not guilty. Dosanjh has travelled back to India several times, on official state business and for personal reason, since emigrating. In January 2003, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
(Expatriate Indian Honour) from Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
in New Delhi
. The award recognizes individual excellence in various fields for persons of Indian origin across the world.
candidate in the Vancouver South
riding in the 1979
and 1983
provincial elections. He lost both times to the BC Social Credit Party
candidates. He ran in the 1991 provincial election
in the Vancouver-Kensington riding where he won as his party came to power. He would be re-elected in that same riding in the 1996 provincial election
. He spent his first few years as a Member of the Legislative Assembly
as a backbencher
. In 1993, he chaired the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills. He served two years as caucus chair for his party until April 10, 1995, when Premier Mike Harcourt
dismissed Robin Blencoe
from his cabinet and replaced him with Dosanjh as Minister of Government Services and Minister Responsible for Sports. A month later, in a small cabinet shuffle upon the resignation of Moe Sihota
, Harcourt added Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism and Human Rights to Dosanjh's portfolio. In another cabinet shuffle, as Sihota was re-instated into the cabinet in August, Dosanjh's portfolio was changed to Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration and he was appointed Attorney General
.
As Attorney General, Dosanjh oversaw the resolution of the Gustafsen Lake Standoff
involving the Secwepemc Nation
, set up a database for registering violent offenders, established a hate crime division in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, and lobbied for more police officers, probation officers, and judiciary. At the same time his office drew criticism for reducing legal aid and closing courthouses. As the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration he successfully lobbied for laws giving same-sex couples the equal rights and responsibilities for child support, custody and access. In early 1999, a special prosecutor under the RCMP opened an investigation into possible influence peddling by Premier Glen Clark
concerning casino licensing. On March 4, after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) raided the Premier's house, they briefed Attorney General Dosanjh, whose office had to assist, and placed him under a gag order. The order was lifted on August 13, he informed Clark, and called a press conference, after which Clark resigned as Premier. Dosanjh's actions were variously criticized for not informing his party caucus and not going public sooner, and applauded for avoiding perceptions of conflict of interest despite his power to intervene.
The leadership convention to replace Clark was set for February 20, 2000. Dosanjh was among the front runners, along with Corky Evans
, Gordon Wilson
, and Joy MacPhail
who all had served at various cabinet posts. Clark, Wilson and fellow MLA Moe Sihota
campaigned specifically against Dosanjh. MacPhail dropped out and endorsed Dosanjh followed by Wilson dropping out and endorsing Evans. Dosanjh was successful and became Premier on February 24, 2000, Canada's first Indo-Canadian
provincial leader.
As Premier for two and a half sessions of the 36th Parliament, between February 24, 2000 and June 5, 2001, Dosanjh gave priority to issues of health care, education, and balanced budgets. A boost in government revenue from rapidly expanding oil and gas development, led Dosanjh to direct the Finance Minister to draft balanced budget legislation. With the previous year's budget unexpectedly in surplus and increased revenue expected to continue, Dosanjh was able to keep the provincial budget in surplus while increasing spending by 8% in the 2001 budget year. The increased spending was mostly directed to renovations of hospital, public schools and higher education institutions, as well as building cancer treatment centers, lowering post-secondary tuition fees, and creating significantly more new spaces in the province's apprenticeship program and post-secondary institutions. Dosanjh became the first provincial leader to march in a gay pride parade and the provincial government adopted the Definition of Spouse Amendment Act which extended equal rights to same-sex couples. With Dosanjh as Premier the Legislative Assembly
adopted the Tobacco Damages and Health Care Recovery Act which permitted lawsuits against tobacco organizations
to re-coup associated health care expenses, the Sex Offender Registry Act, and the Protection of Public Participation Act which prevented lawsuits against citizens who participated in public processes
.
However, the BC NDP were deeply unpopular within the province, reaching a low at 15% support in opinion polls at the time of Glen Clark's resignation as Premier in August 1999. With Dosanjh as leader, support had risen to 21% by August 2000. Dosanjh was consistently ranked higher personal popularity over opposition leader Gordon Campbell until the run-up to the May 16, 2001, provincial election. Dosanjh and the BC NDP were facing certain defeat so they concentrated their campaign to a few ridings in the Lower Mainland
which were still considered competitive. Their campaign focused on the expanding economy, issues of health care and education, and Dosanjh's personal popularity over Campbell. Dosanjh conceded defeat a week before the election, but requested voters consider making the NDP a strong opposition party. After the vote
, on May 16, Dosanjh lost his seat in Vancouver-Kensington along with all but two members of his Cabinet in the second-worst defeat of a sitting provincial government in Canada. The BC Liberals won all 77 other seats.
. New Democratic Party
leader Jack Layton
approached Dosanjh in 2003 to see if he was interested in running as a federal candidate but Dosanjh refused. In March 2004, with a federal election expected in the spring or summer, Prime Minister
Paul Martin
approached Dosanjh to be a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada
. Dosanjh agreed and Martin appointed him to Vancouver South
over two other nomination candidates while announcing Dosanjh as part of a team of BC star candidates along with economist David Emerson
, union leader Dave Haggard, community activist Shirley Chan and Liberal party organizer Bill Cunningham. The advertising of Dosanjh emphasized the party's socially progressive aspect. In the June election
Dosanjh won his riding with 44.5% of the vote.
Dosanjh was appointed Minister of Health
in the federal Cabinet
. As Health Minister, Dosanjh strongly supported Canada's existing single-tier, publicly funded health-care system
. Dosanjh introduced legislation to make cigarettes fire safe
, new regulations to further limit lead content in children's jewelry, and supported and an NDP motion to ban trans fats. He advocated for Canada to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which they did in November 2004. Dosanjh funded a program to revise the Canada food guide to more include more multicultural foods and another program to integrate foreign-trained medical professionals into the health-care system. Supported by a unanimous vote in the House of Commons, the government agreed to compensate the 6,000 Canadians infected with hepatitis C
from tainted blood transfusion. Along with Prime Minister Martin, a 10-year, $41 billion funding plan was negotiated with the provinces to deliver health care — with $5.5 billion to specifically address wait times that had been an election issue during the 2004 federal election — but they rejected Premiers' demands for a national program to purchase pharmaceuticals in bulk. As the Minister of Health, Dosanjh introduced Bill C-12 An Act to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases which updated the 1985 Quarantine Act; it was given royal assent in May 2005.
In May 2005, opposition MP Gurmant Grewal
accused Dosanjh and the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff
, Tim Murphy, of attempting to bribe him with an ambassadorship and a senate seat for his wife, Nina Grewal
, if he would cross the floor
or abstain from a crucial upcoming vote. Grewal released tapes he secretly recorded of the conversation between Dosanjh, Grewal, and Murphy. Dosanjh claimed innocence and accused Grewal of altering the tapes to imply wrong-doing and the Prime Minister dismissed calls to remove Dosanjh from cabinet. Audio analysis concluded that the tapes were altered and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
did not pursue any criminal investigations. Nevertheless, fellow MP John Reynolds
filed a complaint with the Law Society of British Columbia accusing Dosanjh of violating the Criminal Code of Canada
and the society's Professional Conduct Handbook. The Law Society reviewed the affair and concluded that Grewal had attempted to elicit rewards for his compliance but cleared Dosanjh and Murphy of misconduct charges.
, Dosanjh decisively won his riding against Tarlok Sablok, the Indo-Canadian Conservative candidate, and the community activist and NDP candidate Bev Meslo
. With the Liberal party forming the Official Opposition
, Dosanjh became the critic for National Defence and sat on the Standing Committee on National Defence and the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. In the December 2006 Liberal leadership race he supported Bob Rae
, a fellow former-NDP premier. When Rae was eliminated on the final ballot, Dosanjh supported Stéphane Dion
. With Dion as the new leader, Dosanjh remained on the two committees but his critic responsibility was moved to Foreign Affairs. Dosanjh suffered a mild heart attack
on the morning of February 13, 2007, outside the House of Commons. He was attended by fellow MP Carolyn Bennett
, who is also a doctor, and he was rushed to hospital where a successful operation
to remove a blood clot near his heart was performed. In the second session of the 39th Parliament
, from October 2007 to September 2008, Dosanjh sat on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security and the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, and his critic responsibility was moved Public Safety.
was called for October 2008. Dosanjh faced sociologist Wai Young running for the Conservatives, health worker Ann Chambers running for the NDP, and an IT consultant, Csaba Gulyas for the Green Party. Dosanjh won by 33 votes over Young, both receiving 38.4% of the vote. A recount confirmed Dosanjh's victory but only by a margin of 22 votes. The Conservative Party requested a second, judicial recount, which again confirmed Dosanjh as the victor. In the 40th Canadian Parliament
, with his party once again forming the official opposition, Dosanjh was appointed the National Defence critic for the first parliamentary session which was short-lived. During the 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
he defended the proposed coalition government as a reaction to inappropriate leadership on economic issues by the existing government. When Dion resigned as party leader, Dosanjh considered but did not run for leadership citing his inability to speak French and again supported Rae's bid. In October 2009, Michael Ignatieff
appointed Dosanjh as the Liberals'
critic for National Defence.
When the 40th Parliament
re-convened for its 2nd session Dosanjh continued as the National Defence critic and served on the Standing Committee on National Defence, as well as the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. In the 3rd session of the 40th Parliament Dosanjh continued with the Standing Committee on National Defence and the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, but also sat with the Standing Committee on Health. In September 2010 he was re-assigned to being the critic on health for the Liberal Party. Dosanjh introduced private member bill C-467 An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (children born abroad) in the 2nd session, and re-introduced it in the 3rd session where it received 2nd reading in September 2010, which would grant natural citizenship to children born to, or adopted by, Canadian citizens working for the federal government (including members of the Canadian Forces). The bill was meant to repeal portions of the April 2009 amendments to the Citizenship Act which repatriated Lost Canadians
but also removed the ability of Canadians to pass their citizenship onto their children if the children are born outside of the country.
Dosanjh was defeated in the 2011 federal election which saw the Liberal Party reduced to third place in the House of Commons.
Parade held in Surrey, B.C., one of the parade organizers issued a statement indicating should Dosanjh and BC Liberal backbencher Dave Hayer
choose to attend the parade, their safety could not be guaranteed. This was due in part to comments that Dosanjh had made after the parade in 2007, suggesting a police investigation into reports of a parade float that had a picture of Talwinder Singh Parmar
on it, the alleged mastermind behind the bombing of Air India Flight 182
. Dosanjh also expressed concerns over some attendees wearing International Sikh Youth Federation
t-shirts, a terrorist organization that is banned in India, Britain, the United States, and Canada.
At least two complaints were made to RCMP about the comments by one of the parade organizers, Inderjit Singh Bains, on Sher-E-Punjab radio. During part of the show hosted by Gurvinder Dhaliwal, Bains spoke about the importance of honouring the Sikh faith and some logistics of the Surrey, B.C., parade that draws tens of thousands of people.
"Everybody's invited except those who've been excluded," he said of the event that would include security for some participants. "Everyone (is invited) except... two people - Ujjal Dosanjh and Dave Hayer
," he said. "We've never invited them. If they come they should bring their own security."
Premier Gordon Campbell called for an apology. None was forthcoming and all three declined to attend the parade.
On April 23, 2010, the RCMP launched an investigation into threats made against Dosanjh on a Facebook
site, titled “Ujjal Dosanjh is a Sikh Traitor.” Canada's Parliamentarians condemned any death threats against Mr. Dosanjh.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, (ˈuːdʒəl doʊˈsɑːndʒ; born September 9, 1947) is a Sikh Canadian
Sikhism in Canada
Canadian Sikhs are the largest religious group among Indo-Canadians. According to the 2001 census there are 278,410 Sikhs in Canada. However, in 2004 the true number was revealed to be closer to 400,000....
lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada
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...
Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health
Minister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost government. As a member of the Official Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
from January 2006 until 2011, Dosanjh variously has been the critic of National Defence, Public Safety, and Foreign Affairs, as well as sitting on Standing Committee on National Defence, the Committee on Public Safety and National Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, and the Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. Since January 2009, he has been a member of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
Prior to being involved in federal politics, he spent ten years in provincial politics. He was elected in the Vancouver-Kensington riding in 1991 as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) and re-elected there in 1996. He served as the Attorney General of British Columbia
Attorney General of British Columbia
The Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia is a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province of British Columbia, Canada...
from August 1995 to February 2000. When the leader of his party resigned in 1999, Dosanjh put himself forward as a candidate and won the leadership vote. With the win he became Canada's first Indo-Canadian provincial leader. He served as the 33rd Premier of British Columbia
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
until June 2001 when he lost the province's general election
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
.
Born in a village in the Jalandhar district
Jalandhar District
Jalandhar district , Jalandhar Zilā) is one of the 22 districts in the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. The capital is Jalandhar City...
of Punjab, India, Dosanjh emigrated to the United Kingdom at the age of 17 before moving to Canada almost four years later. He worked numerous manual labour jobs and attended university, studying political science. He earned his law degree at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
and opened his own law firm. He has been a vocal opponent of violence and extremism.
Personal life
Ujjal Dosanjh was born in Dosanjh Kalan, Punjab, India, in 1947. After moving to Jalandher, he lived with his grandfather who had established a primary school. Dosanjh gained an early interest in politics from listening to debates between his father, a follower of Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
and the populist Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, and his grandfather, a former Indian freedom fighter and socialist. Dosanjh wanted to pursue an education in political science, but his father wanted him to be a doctor. So in 1964, at the age of 17, Dosanjh left India for the United Kingdom where he could pursue his own interests. In London he learned English and worked as an assistant editor for a Punjabi-language newspaper. He emigrated to Canada three and a half years later, arriving in British Columbia on May 12, 1968, to live with his aunt. majoring in political science. He went on to earn a law degree from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
The University of British Columbia Faculty of Law is one of the largest English language legal programs in Canada, with over 600 law students. The school offers a three-year Juris Doctor program and the graduate degrees of Master of Laws , Master of Jurisprudence and doctorate degrees...
in 1976 and was called to the bar the following year. During this time he taught English as a second language courses at Vancouver Community College
Vancouver Community College
Vancouver Community College is a public post-secondary institution in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1965, it is the largest and oldest community college in British Columbia, with over 140 certificate and diploma programs...
and worked as an assistant editor of a local Punjabi newspaper. He established his own law practice in 1979, specializing in family and personal injury law. His involvement with community organizations included founding the Farm Workers’ Legal Information Service (later Canadian Farm Workers' Union), serving on the board of directors for BC Civil Liberties Association
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association or BCCLA is a non-government organization in British Columbia, Canada dedicated to the preservation, maintenance and extension of civil liberties and human rights in Canada....
and the Vancouver Multicultural Society, and the Labour Advocacy Research Association, as well as volunteer work with MOSAIC Immigrant Services Centre, and the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House.
A prominent moderate Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
in Vancouver, Dosanjh spoke out against violence by Sikh extremists
Sikh extremism
Sikh extremism refers to threats or acts of violence against civilians, or material support for the acts of violence.Some extremists have been separatists pursuing the formation of a Sikh state, often referred to as Khalistan....
who advocated Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
independence from India. As a result of these views, in February 1985 he was attacked in the parking lot of his law office by an assailant wielding a iron bar. Dosanjh, 37 at the time, suffered a broken hand and received 80 stitches in his head.
He was targeted again, on December 26, 1999, while he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
, when his constituency office was broken into and a Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
left burning on a table.
Dosanjh and his wife Raminder have three sons. In April 2000, his middle son, Aseem, was charged with assaulting an Ontario police officer during a bar brawl, but was found not guilty. Dosanjh has travelled back to India several times, on official state business and for personal reason, since emigrating. In January 2003, he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is an award constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas , to honor exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen field/profession...
(Expatriate Indian Honour) from Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. The award recognizes individual excellence in various fields for persons of Indian origin across the world.
Provincial politics
Dosanjh ran as the British Columbia New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
candidate in the Vancouver South
Vancouver South (provincial electoral district)
Vancouver South was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the election of 1966....
riding in the 1979
British Columbia general election, 1979
The British Columbia general election of 1979 was the 32nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 3, 1979...
and 1983
British Columbia general election, 1983
The British Columbia general election of 1983 was the 33rd provincial election for the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 7, 1983. The election was held on May 5, 1983...
provincial elections. He lost both times to the BC Social Credit Party
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
candidates. He ran in the 1991 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 1991
The British Columbia general election of 1991 was the 35th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 19, 1991, and held on October 17, 1991...
in the Vancouver-Kensington riding where he won as his party came to power. He would be re-elected in that same riding in the 1996 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 1996
The British Columbia general election of 1996 was the thirty sixth provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 30, 1996, and held on May 28, 1996...
. He spent his first few years as a Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
as a backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
. In 1993, he chaired the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills. He served two years as caucus chair for his party until April 10, 1995, when Premier Mike Harcourt
Mike Harcourt
Michael Franklin Harcourt served as the 30th Premier of the province of British Columbia in Canada from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of BC's major city, Vancouver from 1980 to 1986....
dismissed Robin Blencoe
Robin Blencoe
Robin Blencoe was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was elected to represent the riding of Victoria-Hillside in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1983, 1986 and 1991. He served in the Cabinet of Mike Harcourt as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Government...
from his cabinet and replaced him with Dosanjh as Minister of Government Services and Minister Responsible for Sports. A month later, in a small cabinet shuffle upon the resignation of Moe Sihota
Moe Sihota
Munmohan Singh "Moe" Sihota is a former Canadian broadcaster and politician.He was born in Duncan, British Columbia and attended St. George's Boys School, Vancouver, on scholarship...
, Harcourt added Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism and Human Rights to Dosanjh's portfolio. In another cabinet shuffle, as Sihota was re-instated into the cabinet in August, Dosanjh's portfolio was changed to Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration and he was appointed Attorney General
Attorney General of British Columbia
The Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia is a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province of British Columbia, Canada...
.
As Attorney General, Dosanjh oversaw the resolution of the Gustafsen Lake Standoff
Gustafsen Lake Standoff
The Gustafsen Lake Standoff was an indigenous land dispute involving members of the Secwepemc nation and members of other indigenous groups in British Columbia, Canada which began on June 15, 1995, and lasted until September 17, 1995.-The Standoff begins:...
involving the Secwepemc Nation
Secwepemc Nation
Secwepemc Nation may refer to:*the Secwepemc people *the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council*the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council...
, set up a database for registering violent offenders, established a hate crime division in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, and lobbied for more police officers, probation officers, and judiciary. At the same time his office drew criticism for reducing legal aid and closing courthouses. As the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration he successfully lobbied for laws giving same-sex couples the equal rights and responsibilities for child support, custody and access. In early 1999, a special prosecutor under the RCMP opened an investigation into possible influence peddling by Premier Glen Clark
Glen Clark
Glen David Clark is a politician in British Columbia, Canada who served as the 31st Premier of British Columbia from 1996 to 1999.-Early life and education:...
concerning casino licensing. On March 4, after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) raided the Premier's house, they briefed Attorney General Dosanjh, whose office had to assist, and placed him under a gag order. The order was lifted on August 13, he informed Clark, and called a press conference, after which Clark resigned as Premier. Dosanjh's actions were variously criticized for not informing his party caucus and not going public sooner, and applauded for avoiding perceptions of conflict of interest despite his power to intervene.
The leadership convention to replace Clark was set for February 20, 2000. Dosanjh was among the front runners, along with Corky Evans
Corky Evans
Corky Evans was a prominent provincial politician in British Columbia, Canada. He twice ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of British Columbia, placing second both times. In both cases, the party formed the government of BC and its leader became Premier of British Columbia...
, Gordon Wilson
Gordon Wilson
Gordon Wilson may refer to:*Gordon Wilson , former leader of the Scottish National Party*Gordon Wilson , leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party...
, and Joy MacPhail
Joy MacPhail
Joy MacPhail is a former Canadian politician in British Columbia. A longtime member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, she served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 2005 and as a Minister of the Crown from 1993-1999, and 2000-2001.MacPhail was born in Hamilton,...
who all had served at various cabinet posts. Clark, Wilson and fellow MLA Moe Sihota
Moe Sihota
Munmohan Singh "Moe" Sihota is a former Canadian broadcaster and politician.He was born in Duncan, British Columbia and attended St. George's Boys School, Vancouver, on scholarship...
campaigned specifically against Dosanjh. MacPhail dropped out and endorsed Dosanjh followed by Wilson dropping out and endorsing Evans. Dosanjh was successful and became Premier on February 24, 2000, Canada's first Indo-Canadian
Indo-Canadians
Indo-Canadians are Canadians whose origins trace back to India. The terms East Indian and South Asian are used to distinguish people of ancestral origin from India, from the First Nations peoples of Canada who are often referred to as Indian, and from the people of the Caribbean, who are sometimes...
provincial leader.
As Premier for two and a half sessions of the 36th Parliament, between February 24, 2000 and June 5, 2001, Dosanjh gave priority to issues of health care, education, and balanced budgets. A boost in government revenue from rapidly expanding oil and gas development, led Dosanjh to direct the Finance Minister to draft balanced budget legislation. With the previous year's budget unexpectedly in surplus and increased revenue expected to continue, Dosanjh was able to keep the provincial budget in surplus while increasing spending by 8% in the 2001 budget year. The increased spending was mostly directed to renovations of hospital, public schools and higher education institutions, as well as building cancer treatment centers, lowering post-secondary tuition fees, and creating significantly more new spaces in the province's apprenticeship program and post-secondary institutions. Dosanjh became the first provincial leader to march in a gay pride parade and the provincial government adopted the Definition of Spouse Amendment Act which extended equal rights to same-sex couples. With Dosanjh as Premier the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
adopted the Tobacco Damages and Health Care Recovery Act which permitted lawsuits against tobacco organizations
Tobacco politics
Tobacco politics refers to the politics surrounding the use and distribution of tobacco.-Taxation:Tobacco has been taxed by state governments in the United States for decades...
to re-coup associated health care expenses, the Sex Offender Registry Act, and the Protection of Public Participation Act which prevented lawsuits against citizens who participated in public processes
Strategic lawsuit against public participation
A strategic lawsuit against public participation is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition....
.
However, the BC NDP were deeply unpopular within the province, reaching a low at 15% support in opinion polls at the time of Glen Clark's resignation as Premier in August 1999. With Dosanjh as leader, support had risen to 21% by August 2000. Dosanjh was consistently ranked higher personal popularity over opposition leader Gordon Campbell until the run-up to the May 16, 2001, provincial election. Dosanjh and the BC NDP were facing certain defeat so they concentrated their campaign to a few ridings in the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
which were still considered competitive. Their campaign focused on the expanding economy, issues of health care and education, and Dosanjh's personal popularity over Campbell. Dosanjh conceded defeat a week before the election, but requested voters consider making the NDP a strong opposition party. After the vote
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
, on May 16, Dosanjh lost his seat in Vancouver-Kensington along with all but two members of his Cabinet in the second-worst defeat of a sitting provincial government in Canada. The BC Liberals won all 77 other seats.
Federal politics
Following the election loss Dosanjh returned to practicing law and let his party membership lapse. There had been speculation dating back to October 2002 that Dosanjh was interested in joining the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal 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...
. New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
approached Dosanjh in 2003 to see if he was interested in running as a federal candidate but Dosanjh refused. In March 2004, with a federal election expected in the spring or summer, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
approached Dosanjh to be a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
. Dosanjh agreed and Martin appointed him to Vancouver South
Vancouver South
Vancouver South is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1997, and since 2004. It covers the southern portion of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia....
over two other nomination candidates while announcing Dosanjh as part of a team of BC star candidates along with economist David Emerson
David Emerson
David Lee Emerson, PC, OBC is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant.Emerson is a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin...
, union leader Dave Haggard, community activist Shirley Chan and Liberal party organizer Bill Cunningham. The advertising of Dosanjh emphasized the party's socially progressive aspect. In the June election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
Dosanjh won his riding with 44.5% of the vote.
38th Canadian Parliament
In the 38th Canadian Parliament38th Canadian Parliament
The 38th Canadian Parliament was in session from October 4, 2004 until November 29, 2005. The membership was set by the 2004 federal election on June 28, 2004, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections, but due to the seat distribution, those few changes significantly...
Dosanjh was appointed Minister of Health
Minister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
in the federal Cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
. As Health Minister, Dosanjh strongly supported Canada's existing single-tier, publicly funded health-care system
Health care in Canada
Health care in Canada is delivered through a publicly-funded health care system, which is mostly free at the point of use and has most services provided by private entities. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act. The government assures the quality of care through federal standards...
. Dosanjh introduced legislation to make cigarettes fire safe
Fire safe cigarettes
Fire safe cigarettes are cigarettes that are designed to extinguish more quickly than standard cigarettes, if ignored, with the intention of preventing accidental fires. These products are also known as Lower Ignition Propensity , Reduced Fire Risk , self-extinguishing, fire-safe or Reduced...
, new regulations to further limit lead content in children's jewelry, and supported and an NDP motion to ban trans fats. He advocated for Canada to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which they did in November 2004. Dosanjh funded a program to revise the Canada food guide to more include more multicultural foods and another program to integrate foreign-trained medical professionals into the health-care system. Supported by a unanimous vote in the House of Commons, the government agreed to compensate the 6,000 Canadians infected with hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
from tainted blood transfusion. Along with Prime Minister Martin, a 10-year, $41 billion funding plan was negotiated with the provinces to deliver health care — with $5.5 billion to specifically address wait times that had been an election issue during the 2004 federal election — but they rejected Premiers' demands for a national program to purchase pharmaceuticals in bulk. As the Minister of Health, Dosanjh introduced Bill C-12 An Act to prevent the introduction and spread of communicable diseases which updated the 1985 Quarantine Act; it was given royal assent in May 2005.
In May 2005, opposition MP Gurmant Grewal
Gurmant Grewal
Gurmant Singh Grewal, is a Canadian politician and former Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament. Gurmant and his wife, Nina Grewal, were the first married couple to serve in the Canadian House of Commons at the same time...
accused Dosanjh and the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff (Canada)
The Chief of Staff of Canada's Prime Minister's Office is the top official of the office. It was created in 1987 to head the Prime Minister's Office or PMO....
, Tim Murphy, of attempting to bribe him with an ambassadorship and a senate seat for his wife, Nina Grewal
Nina Grewal
Narinder Kaur Grewal, MP , is a Canadian politician of the Conservative Party. She was elected in the general election of June 2004 to represent the constituency of Fleetwood—Port Kells, British Columbia....
, if he would cross the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
or abstain from a crucial upcoming vote. Grewal released tapes he secretly recorded of the conversation between Dosanjh, Grewal, and Murphy. Dosanjh claimed innocence and accused Grewal of altering the tapes to imply wrong-doing and the Prime Minister dismissed calls to remove Dosanjh from cabinet. Audio analysis concluded that the tapes were altered and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
did not pursue any criminal investigations. Nevertheless, fellow MP John Reynolds
John Reynolds (Canadian politician)
John Douglas Reynolds, PC was the Member of Parliament for the riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006...
filed a complaint with the Law Society of British Columbia accusing Dosanjh of violating the Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
and the society's Professional Conduct Handbook. The Law Society reviewed the affair and concluded that Grewal had attempted to elicit rewards for his compliance but cleared Dosanjh and Murphy of misconduct charges.
39th Canadian Parliament
In the January 2006 federal electionCanadian 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:...
, Dosanjh decisively won his riding against Tarlok Sablok, the Indo-Canadian Conservative candidate, and the community activist and NDP candidate Bev Meslo
Bev Meslo
Beverley "Bev" Meslo is a Canadian democratic socialist, a New Democratic Party member, and a political activist based in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada....
. With the Liberal party forming the Official Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
, Dosanjh became the critic for National Defence and sat on the Standing Committee on National Defence and the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. In the December 2006 Liberal leadership race he supported Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, a fellow former-NDP premier. When Rae was eliminated on the final ballot, Dosanjh supported Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
. With Dion as the new leader, Dosanjh remained on the two committees but his critic responsibility was moved to Foreign Affairs. Dosanjh suffered a mild heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on the morning of February 13, 2007, outside the House of Commons. He was attended by fellow MP Carolyn Bennett
Carolyn Bennett
Carolyn Ann Bennett, PC, MP is the Member of Parliament for the riding of St. Paul's, a constituency located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, and was formerly a candidate for its leadership....
, who is also a doctor, and he was rushed to hospital where a successful operation
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
to remove a blood clot near his heart was performed. In the second session of the 39th Parliament
39th Canadian Parliament
The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008. The membership was set by the 2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it has changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections...
, from October 2007 to September 2008, Dosanjh sat on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security and the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, and his critic responsibility was moved Public Safety.
40th Canadian Parliament
The next electionCanadian 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...
was called for October 2008. Dosanjh faced sociologist Wai Young running for the Conservatives, health worker Ann Chambers running for the NDP, and an IT consultant, Csaba Gulyas for the Green Party. Dosanjh won by 33 votes over Young, both receiving 38.4% of the vote. A recount confirmed Dosanjh's victory but only by a margin of 22 votes. The Conservative Party requested a second, judicial recount, which again confirmed Dosanjh as the victor. In the 40th Canadian Parliament
40th Canadian Parliament
The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011, and was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House of Commons was determined by the results of the 2008...
, with his party once again forming the official opposition, Dosanjh was appointed the National Defence critic for the first parliamentary session which was short-lived. During the 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute
The 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute was a political dispute during the 40th Canadian Parliament. It was triggered by the expressed intention of the opposition parties to defeat the Conservative minority government on a motion of non-confidence six weeks after the federal election on...
he defended the proposed coalition government as a reaction to inappropriate leadership on economic issues by the existing government. When Dion resigned as party leader, Dosanjh considered but did not run for leadership citing his inability to speak French and again supported Rae's bid. In October 2009, Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
appointed Dosanjh as the Liberals'
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...
critic for National Defence.
When the 40th Parliament
40th Canadian Parliament
The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011, and was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House of Commons was determined by the results of the 2008...
re-convened for its 2nd session Dosanjh continued as the National Defence critic and served on the Standing Committee on National Defence, as well as the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. In the 3rd session of the 40th Parliament Dosanjh continued with the Standing Committee on National Defence and the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, but also sat with the Standing Committee on Health. In September 2010 he was re-assigned to being the critic on health for the Liberal Party. Dosanjh introduced private member bill C-467 An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (children born abroad) in the 2nd session, and re-introduced it in the 3rd session where it received 2nd reading in September 2010, which would grant natural citizenship to children born to, or adopted by, Canadian citizens working for the federal government (including members of the Canadian Forces). The bill was meant to repeal portions of the April 2009 amendments to the Citizenship Act which repatriated Lost Canadians
Lost Canadians
Lost Canadians are those individuals who believe themselves to be Canadian citizens, but who lost their citizenship through the vagaries of either the current citizenship law or that in force prior to 1977....
but also removed the ability of Canadians to pass their citizenship onto their children if the children are born outside of the country.
Dosanjh was defeated in the 2011 federal election which saw the Liberal Party reduced to third place in the House of Commons.
Vaisakhi Parade controversy
On April 16, 2010, the day prior to the annual VaisakhiVaisakhi
Vaisakhi is an ancient harvest festival celebrated across North Indian states, especially Punjab by all Punjabis regardless of religion. In Sikhism the Khalsa was founded on same day as the Vaisakhi festival, so Sikhs celebrate twice as much....
Parade held in Surrey, B.C., one of the parade organizers issued a statement indicating should Dosanjh and BC Liberal backbencher Dave Hayer
Dave Hayer
Dave Hayer is a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. He has represented the riding of Surrey-Tynehead since the 2001 election. He is currently serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism....
choose to attend the parade, their safety could not be guaranteed. This was due in part to comments that Dosanjh had made after the parade in 2007, suggesting a police investigation into reports of a parade float that had a picture of Talwinder Singh Parmar
Talwinder Singh Parmar
Talwinder Singh Parmar , born in village Panshta , district Kapurthala, Punjab, India, was a highranking member of the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa. He belonged to the Sikh Rajput community....
on it, the alleged mastermind behind the bombing of Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
. Dosanjh also expressed concerns over some attendees wearing International Sikh Youth Federation
International Sikh Youth Federation
The International Sikh Youth Federation is banned under British, Indian, Canadian and American terrorism legislations.- Bannings :In February 2001, the United Kingdom banned twenty-one groups, including the ISYF, under a new terrorism law....
t-shirts, a terrorist organization that is banned in India, Britain, the United States, and Canada.
At least two complaints were made to RCMP about the comments by one of the parade organizers, Inderjit Singh Bains, on Sher-E-Punjab radio. During part of the show hosted by Gurvinder Dhaliwal, Bains spoke about the importance of honouring the Sikh faith and some logistics of the Surrey, B.C., parade that draws tens of thousands of people.
"Everybody's invited except those who've been excluded," he said of the event that would include security for some participants. "Everyone (is invited) except... two people - Ujjal Dosanjh and Dave Hayer
Dave Hayer
Dave Hayer is a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. He has represented the riding of Surrey-Tynehead since the 2001 election. He is currently serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism....
," he said. "We've never invited them. If they come they should bring their own security."
Premier Gordon Campbell called for an apology. None was forthcoming and all three declined to attend the parade.
On April 23, 2010, the RCMP launched an investigation into threats made against Dosanjh on a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
site, titled “Ujjal Dosanjh is a Sikh Traitor.” Canada's Parliamentarians condemned any death threats against Mr. Dosanjh.
External links
- Ujjal Dosanjh Member of Parliament website
- Ujjal Dosanjh
- How'd They Vote?: Ujjal Dosanjh's voting history and quotes
- Summary of Parliamentary experience from Library of Parliament