He never saw himself getting politics.
But that’s where Shibli Haddad has found himself lately, as he looks to be Milton’s next Member of Parliament for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC).
Haddad was able to take some time from his campaign speedrun to talk with us. He says that when the election was called last month by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he began to look through the Milton candidates. After some time had passed, he noticed that there was not yet a candidate for the PPC in Milton.
That didn’t sit right for the software developer. He claims to be someone who, if the job isn’t getting done, he’ll go out and do it himself. He contacted the Party and put his name in the name, and now finds himself as one of five people running to be named Milton’s next House of Commons representative.
When discussing his campaign, he says it’s more about awareness than anything else.
This is just the second federal election for the PPC. First launched by Party Leader Maxime Bernier during the lead-up to the last federal election in 2019, Haddad says the platform really struck him personally – adding that he likes cheering for the underdog. He says Bernier and the Party are in it for the fight of Canadian idealism. When discussing his campaign, rather than listing off what he was fighting for specifically, he calls back to the platform of the Party a lot, saying residents can learn more about what the Party is fighting for there. Here’s a link.
There is one issue that he brings up: vaccine passports. On Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a new vaccine certificate system for the province. The system will become active on Wednesday, September 22nd. Proof of vaccination will be needed for indoor restaurants, gyms, theatres, and concerts; however, it will not be needed for patios nor retail.
Haddad says that he’s heard from many residents who are unsure of this kind of system, believing it could cause a sense of segregation. He notes that many residents feel bullied for their political beliefs, specifically if they aren’t popular opinions. When discussing the idea of a vaccine passports, he describes himself as a potential voice of the voiceless – speaking on behalf of those who feel like they can’t share their opinions openly.
It’s important to note that, as of Wednesday, September 1st, the Halton Region has reported 89,824 fully immunized residents in Milton. The latest census statistics list Milton’s population at 110,128. While that number should be taken with a slight grain of salt given Milton’s consistent and rapid growth, only residents 12-years-old or older can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
He ultimately just hopes for a conservation. He’d like a political conservation to be had without stigma or judgement as he feels many people in Milton, and around the country, are not having their concerns heard.
There is just under three-weeks left in the federal election race. Haddad says that even with the short build-up to the big day, he still joined the race late. He’s barely two-weeks into his campaign, but he’s focused on boosting the awareness of the PPC. He hopes that residents who feel alienated by the big political parties to search out the platform of the PPC.
You can reach out to Haddad via email at hi@shiblihaddadppc.ca. You can also learn more about Haddad, as well as register as a volunteer and request a lawn sign, by checking out his website.
Haddad is running against Incumbent Milton MP Adam van Koeverden (Liberal Party), Nadeem Akbar (Conservative Party), Muhammad Riaz Sahi (NDP), and reportedly Chris Kowalchuk (Green Party). I’m still working on ways to contact Riaz Sahi for more coverage, as well as the Green Party for more on its candidate. More coverage on Akbar and the Conservative Party is also a goal.
The federal election is on Monday, September 20th.
Hey, things are changing for us here at MiltonNow.ca! If you have a news tip or story idea, you can now send us a heads up via email at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. If you’d like to get ahold of me personally, shoot me a message at Cameron.Wilkinson@LocalRadio.ca. We’re in the business of content creation, so no idea is a bad idea.