Current occupation?
I am a 28-year law enforcement veteran that current commands Senior Operations for the Richmond RCMP entailing oversight over four watches and three units.
Why are you running? Why would you make a good representative for your constituents in the legislature?
I have a long record of local community involvement and youth mentorship. I am a parent volunteer with the North Delta Minor Hockey Association, have organized 14 community youth basketball tournaments and currently provide ongoing mentorship to several local high students in Delta, Surrey and Richmond.
I have always believed in being a proactive force for positive change in the community where I am raising my children, and running for public office is the next step in that commitment to contribution. I see several local issues that are not being addressed and I want to serve as a stronger voice for local residents and their concerns.
I believe that to understand this community, you need roots that are firmly planted here. North Delta has been home to my family and I since 2005, and unlike the current representative, my decision to live here has nothing to do with political vacancies or backroom deals.
Simply put, I am running to fight for the interests of my neighbours, local businesses and my community as a whole.
What are the three most pressing issues facing North Delta residents and how will you address them?
1) There is an ongoing affordability challenge for North Delta residents that impacts every aspect of their daily lives. A BC Liberal government will drop the PST which will save families $1,700 on average in the first year after implementation.
We will end the ICBC monopoly to allow drivers savings through increased competition.
We will bring affordable housing to North Delta (which lost out on funding to South Delta under the NDP) through incentivized tax measures for housing development and funding provisions to the municipal government.
We will also create 10,000 new child care spaces across BC as well as a $10 a day child care option for low-income families.
For seniors, we will offer up to $7,000 a year in a new home care tax credit.
2) Secondly, traffic and congestion for local residents who must commute to north of the Fraser has become prohibitive, which is greatly impacting quality of life and time with family.
People that have to drive to work to earn a living should not be penalized by a government that opposes car-based infrastructure. A BC Liberal government will build a 10-lane Massey Bridge to alleviate the largest traffic bottleneck in the province.
3) Finally, we will improve public safety by adding 200 more police officers across the province, increasing the public safety budget by $58 million to target crime in impacted communities across the province, and establish more Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Teams to respond to mental-health related emergency calls.
What specific cause(s)/project(s) are you personally hoping to champion if elected?
I want to be a strong champion for the Massey Bridge. I am someone who commutes every day and am well aware of the impact that increased time on the road has on my family life. The NDP cancelled the funding that the BC Liberal government had put in place for the bridge and has now spent three and a half years commissioning studies and intentionally delaying a project they want to kill.
The time for action is now. The impact of increased accessibility and dramatically reduced traffic and congestion in North Delta will be immense, and I want to serve as the voice for local residents.
I will also fight for funding for affordable housing in North Delta, In 2018, when Delta was awarded $36 million for affordable housing, all 360 units that were built went into South Delta. This is unacceptable. I will be a loud advocate to correct that unexplainable shortfall.
Notable past achievements/titles/jobs?
In 2004, I founded Team Izzat, which is a group of police officers and university students who volunteer their time to connect with young people to ensure they stay on the right path. The program continues today in communities across Metro Vancouver.
Where were you born/raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Punjab, India, but at the age of 5, my family and I moved to Victoria. I current live in North Delta, close to Sungod Recreation Centre.
Tell us a surprising or interesting fact or story about yourself.
I am a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award for my work with youth. I also competed in the 3-on-3 basketball competition as part of the World Police Games.
See how the other candidates in Delta North answered these questions here.
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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