Politics:Liberal Rechie Valdez Wins Mississauga -Streetsville Riding

Toronto, Ontario

 Makes history in the Filipino-Canadian community

By Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired

In the 44th Canadian federal election held on September 20, 2021, Filipino Canadians welcome a historical development in parliamentary politics. Filipino Canadian Rechie Valdez wins the electoral riding in Mississauga- Streetsville in Ontario. Valdez wins the seat for the Liberal Party of Canada(LPC). With her victory, she becomes the first Filipina and the second Filipino Canadian to become a Member of Parliament at the House of Commons, after the last term of Liberal MP for Winnipeg North Dr. Rey Pagtakhan in 2004.

Political newcomer Rechie Valdez won her Member of Parliament seat against five opponents from the other political parties with a convincing lead. She garnered 24,054 votes, more than 6,875 against her nearest Conservative rival.

During the  pandemic election, seven Filipino Canadians run for Member of Parliament seats across the country, the largest number of Filipino candidates to date. Of the seven brave candidates, six Filipino Canadians did not make it. Among the unsuccessful candidates for Member of Parliament were Liberals Elizabeth Quinto of Oxford County, ON., Virginia Bremner of Vancouver-Kingsway, B.C., and Paul Ong of Winnipeg, MB., New Democrats Naden Abenes of Vancouver-Quadra, B.C., and Elaine Perez of Lethbridge, AB., and Green Party’s Phil D Luna of Toronto-St. Paul’s, Ontario.

The Liberals, led by Justin Trudeau, are returning to power in Ottawa with a minority government. Unofficially, the election results showed the Liberals are winning 156 seats, the Conservatives picking up 127 seats, the Bloc Quebecois with 32 seats, the New Democrats counted 27 winners, and the Green Party with 2 seats. A party needs to win 170 of the 338 ridings to form a majority government. With this outcome, Canadians have decided to “stay the course”, that is minority government as in 2019.

Under a Liberal government, with Valdez’s win, many Filipinos are hoping and expecting that the Filipina legislator will represent and articulate the voice of her many compatriots in the Canadian Parliament. Albeit, not a “big deal”, observers believe that her winning is a big step forward for Filipinos anew to be at the table in the realm of Canadian politics.