TORONTO, ON, Canada—In light of the recent Ontario Liberal Leadership race, The Coalition of Sikh Organizations has distributed a questionnaire to all seven candidates in the provincial Liberal leadership race. The questionnaire consists of eleven questions addressing the concerns of Sikhs in Ontario.
The questionnaire is an opportunity for Sikhs living in Ontario to get a better understanding of where the candidates’ views are on the political spectrum. Along with specific Sikh issues, the questionnaire addresses broader issues, such as auto insurance, healthcare, gridlock in Peel and temporary job agencies.
“Sikhs have played an integral role in Ontario for the last 40 years,” said Ontario Gurdwara Committee spokesman Amarjit Singh Mann. “Recent events of racism and vandalism caused great concern among the community and we want to make sure that the future Premier of Ontario is cognizant of the serious issues the community is facing and are prepared to address them.”
The questionnaire works to address key issues that the community is most concerned about.
“We have seen the community face a wide range of issues over the years. We are looking for a new provincial leader to show that they understand our concerns and are willing to work with us to overcome them,” said Bhagat Singh Brar, committee member at Jot Parkash Gurdawra.
“We hope that each candidate will understand the importance of this questionnaire and take the time to participate and provide their feedback so we can assess which candidate can best represent the Sikh community,” says Balkaran Singh, President at Guru Nanak Mission.
The deadline to respond to the questionnaire is December 21st, 2012 and all submitted responses will be posted on numerous community websites, various Gurdwaras around Ontario as well as shared with the media .
The Coalition of Sikh Organizations is an ad hoc grassroots organization, representing the community on issues and concerns, while working towards developing strong ties with the broader community to foster a positive and understanding relationship.
