Visible minority leader

Canada seems to have added one more nuance to its reputation as a healthy, inclusive political society. The New Democratic Party becomes the first party to have a visible minority leader. Visible Jagmeet Singh is — with his colourful turbans, his skin tone and sartorial choices. He has, however, used his visible minority status to build an inclusive base that represents Canada in all its diversity. His coalition is rather broad, and although he won largely on the strength of new voters, mainly Asian, he could not have achieved what he did without support of the traditional rank and file of the NDP.

By winning the 2017 leadership elections, Jagmeet Singh becomes a brand ambassador for Canada’s rich diversity in its political manifestation. The lawyer-turned-politician is no stranger to the hustings, although he has no federal experience. He has lost and won elections, and now represents his constituents in the Ontario Provincial Parliament. The national stage represents a major milestone for the first non-white politician make a difference. For Canadian politics, it signals another shift away from the traditional politicians to the ones that bring in new energy and perspective to the political system.

Though he is already being talked about as a potential challenger to Justin Trudeau, the road ahead for the NDP leader is a long one. He has to revitalise a party that has been an also-ran in Canadian politics since it was founded in 1961. It has had its moments, but the highest it achieved so far was to share power with the Pierre Trudeau from 1972 to 1974 and be the official opposition in 2011, only to lose 59 seats in the next general election. The new leader will have to build on the NDP’s traditional white base while he adds new blood and funds from his visible base, minorities, especially brown. Jagmeet Singh is known as a disrupter of status quo; now he must consolidate his position and graft for himself an image of a serious and substantive leader, equal to the task of leading a diverse and vast country like Canada. Securing the NDP leadership was easier; winning the Canadian crown will take some doing.