Wajid Khan
Encyclopedia
Wajid Ali Khan is a Canadian
businessman and politician
. Until 2008
, he was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
, representing the riding
of Mississauga—Streetsville
as a Conservative
Member of Parliament
.
from 1966 to 1973. He took part in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 as a Shenyang J-6
fighter pilot. He was shot down during one of his missions and spent some time as a Prisoner of War
.
He moved to Toronto
, Canada
, in 1974.
, and supported Paul Martin
for the party leadership in 2003. He was elected with over 50% support in Mississauga—Streetsville
in the 2004 federal election
, defeating Conservative
Nina Tangri by nearly a 20 percentage point margin. Along with Yasmin Ratansi
, Khan was the first Muslim Member of Parliament
(MP) to be elected for the Liberal Party.
Khan voted against his government's same-sex marriage bill on June 28, 2005.
Khan was re-elected in the 2006 federal election
, defeating Conservative
Raminder Gill
by an 11% margin. After his reelection, he was appointed Associate Critic for National Defense, and more recently Associate Critic for Treasury Board. Khan initially supported Joe Volpe
in the 2006 Liberal leadership campaign, and later joined Volpe in throwing his support behind Bob Rae
. As a Liberal, Khan voted against the extension of Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan until 2009.
were not doing any good. Khan interrupted Jamal to state that such comments would not be tolerated, before walking out of the mosque angrily.
Khan later referred to the altercation, saying he pushed Jamal aside because he was "speaking nonsense" and referred to him as an "idiot" with "piss-poor" command of the English language. Khan, who had been chastised by Jamal's wife in the past, later reported Jamal's behavior to the authorities, leading to his being charged in the as the ringleader of a Toronto terrorism plot, and jailed for two years before being found innocent.
Macleans later reported that "the possibility that a member of Parliament was among those who raised the alarm about Jamal is an intriging twist in the complex story of how police built their case leading to the arrests".
Stephen Harper
for the Middle East and Afghanistan on August 8, 2006. In response to criticisms about providing support for his Conservative political opponents, Khan emphasized the non-partisan nature of his appointment, noting that he sought and received the approval of Liberal leader Bill Graham
prior to taking on the responsibility. Khan was sent to the Middle East on a 16-day trip to prepare a report on conditions there; before departing, he promised that the report would be made public upon his return, a promise which later became a point of contention.
to join the Conservative Party.
Liberal leader Stéphane Dion
had stated that he would not permit Khan to continue in his role as an advisor to Stephen Harper while sitting as a Liberal MP. On January 5, Khan crossed the floor to the Conservatives.
Following his defection to the Tories, there were calls from Khan's former Liberal colleagues for his Middle East report to be made public as promised; however, Prime Minister Harper refused this, saying that publication of the report would make Khan "a pundit and not an advisor."
On January 15, 2007 it was revealed that Khan's old Liberal riding association had been de-registered by Elections Canada effective December 31, 2006. Khan's businesses lent nearly $180,000 to the riding association in a two-year period. While loans to riding associations are permissible, the magnitude of the loans from Khan's business was considered highly unusual. However, Elections Canada ruled that no wrongdoing had been committed by Khan.
On November 15, 2007, Khan was charged under the Elections Act
with overspending by $30,000 in the previous election campaign. Khan, his business, and his riding president were also charged with election spending unauthorized by his official agent. On November 23, 2007, he announced that he would withdraw from the Conservative caucus and sit as an Independent MP. On February 3, 2008, Chief Government Whip Jay Hill announced that Khan had fully concluded the matter with Elections Canada and had been readmitted to the Conservative caucus.
In the October 14, 2008 federal election, Khan lost his reelection bid to Liberal candidate Bonnie Crombie
by 4,725 votes.
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...
businessman and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Until 2008
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...
, he was a member of 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...
, representing the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Mississauga—Streetsville
Mississauga—Streetsville
Mississauga—Streetsville is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Early life
Khan served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
from 1966 to 1973. He took part in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 as a Shenyang J-6
Shenyang J-6
The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
fighter pilot. He was shot down during one of his missions and spent some time as a Prisoner of War
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.
He moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
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...
, in 1974.
Political career
Khan entered politics as a member of the Liberal PartyLiberal 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...
, and supported 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....
for the party leadership in 2003. He was elected with over 50% support in Mississauga—Streetsville
Mississauga—Streetsville
Mississauga—Streetsville is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
in the 2004 federal 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...
, defeating Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Nina Tangri by nearly a 20 percentage point margin. Along with Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Don Valley East in the Canadian House of Commons. She is a member of the Liberal Party. Ratansi is an Ismaili Muslim, and was the first Muslim woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons.-Before politics:Born in Dar es...
, Khan was the first Muslim Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) to be elected for the Liberal Party.
Khan voted against his government's same-sex marriage bill on June 28, 2005.
Khan was re-elected in the 2006 federal 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:...
, defeating Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Raminder Gill
Raminder Gill
Raminder Singh Gill is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2003, and has unsuccessfully sought election to the Canadian House of Commons on three separate occasions. He currently serves as a citizenship judge. Gill was born...
by an 11% margin. After his reelection, he was appointed Associate Critic for National Defense, and more recently Associate Critic for Treasury Board. Khan initially supported Joe Volpe
Joe Volpe
Giuseppe Joseph "Joe" Volpe, PC, was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until the 2011 federal election, being surpassed by the conservative member Joe Oliver Joe Oliver, and held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet...
in the 2006 Liberal leadership campaign, and later joined Volpe in throwing his support behind 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....
. As a Liberal, Khan voted against the extension of Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan until 2009.
Relationship with Qayyum Jamal
When Khan began attending the Ar-Rahman mosque in the summer of 2005, Qayyum Jamal introduced him to the congregation saying that he had come to bring messages from the government, and countered that he would like to send the government a message of his own - that Canadian troops in AfghanistanCanada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
Canada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian...
were not doing any good. Khan interrupted Jamal to state that such comments would not be tolerated, before walking out of the mosque angrily.
Khan later referred to the altercation, saying he pushed Jamal aside because he was "speaking nonsense" and referred to him as an "idiot" with "piss-poor" command of the English language. Khan, who had been chastised by Jamal's wife in the past, later reported Jamal's behavior to the authorities, leading to his being charged in the as the ringleader of a Toronto terrorism plot, and jailed for two years before being found innocent.
Macleans later reported that "the possibility that a member of Parliament was among those who raised the alarm about Jamal is an intriging twist in the complex story of how police built their case leading to the arrests".
Advisor for the Middle East and Afghanistan
He was appointed as special advisor to Prime MinisterPrime 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...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
for the Middle East and Afghanistan on August 8, 2006. In response to criticisms about providing support for his Conservative political opponents, Khan emphasized the non-partisan nature of his appointment, noting that he sought and received the approval of Liberal leader Bill Graham
Bill Graham
William Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
prior to taking on the responsibility. Khan was sent to the Middle East on a 16-day trip to prepare a report on conditions there; before departing, he promised that the report would be made public upon his return, a promise which later became a point of contention.
Crosses the floor
Early in January 2007, media outlets began reporting speculation that Khan was considering crossing the floorCrossing 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...
to join the Conservative Party.
Liberal leader 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...
had stated that he would not permit Khan to continue in his role as an advisor to Stephen Harper while sitting as a Liberal MP. On January 5, Khan crossed the floor to the Conservatives.
Following his defection to the Tories, there were calls from Khan's former Liberal colleagues for his Middle East report to be made public as promised; however, Prime Minister Harper refused this, saying that publication of the report would make Khan "a pundit and not an advisor."
On January 15, 2007 it was revealed that Khan's old Liberal riding association had been de-registered by Elections Canada effective December 31, 2006. Khan's businesses lent nearly $180,000 to the riding association in a two-year period. While loans to riding associations are permissible, the magnitude of the loans from Khan's business was considered highly unusual. However, Elections Canada ruled that no wrongdoing had been committed by Khan.
On November 15, 2007, Khan was charged under the Elections Act
Elections Act
Elections Act may refer to:* Canada Elections Act, 2000* Elections Act 2001, UK...
with overspending by $30,000 in the previous election campaign. Khan, his business, and his riding president were also charged with election spending unauthorized by his official agent. On November 23, 2007, he announced that he would withdraw from the Conservative caucus and sit as an Independent MP. On February 3, 2008, Chief Government Whip Jay Hill announced that Khan had fully concluded the matter with Elections Canada and had been readmitted to the Conservative caucus.
In the October 14, 2008 federal election, Khan lost his reelection bid to Liberal candidate Bonnie Crombie
Bonnie Crombie
Bonnie Crombie is a Canadian politician. Formerly a Liberal Party Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Mississauga—Streetsville, in Ontario, she was elected to Mississauga City Council in a by-election in September 2011....
by 4,725 votes.