Omar Alghabra
| Omar Alghabra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Erindale | |
| In office 2006–2008 | |
| Preceded by | Carolyn Parrish |
| Succeeded by | Bob Dechert |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 24, 1969 Saudi Arabia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Residence | Mississauga, Ontario |
| Profession | Engineer, Entrepreneur, Politician |
Omar Alghabra is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Mississauga—Erindale in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008.
Alghabra graduated from Ryerson University with a degree in engineering and in 2000 received his Master of Business Administration from York University.
He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2006 election as a member of the Liberal caucus, and was an active organizer for Gerard Kennedy's leadership bid. He was the opposition critic for Citizenship and Immigration, and later for Natural Resources.
He was narrowly defeated by Bob Dechert in the 2008 election, and again in the 2011 election by a more decisive margin.
Campaigning
The National Post stated that Alghabra promotes himself by "humour and self-deprecation to win over voters. Rather than vilify his opponents, Alghabra is establishing himself in the public mind in a positive sense, before he can be trashed by competitors."[1]
According to an editorial in The Globe and Mail, Alghabra's "combination of biographical information and self-deprecating humour stands in contrast to the aggressive attack ads currently in rotation on the federal stage."[2]
Views
In 2010, Alghabra identified key issues on his platform:[3]
- Ending poverty in Mississauga; Alghabra states that one out of five children in Mississauga live in poverty
- Reduce the unemployment rate; Alghabra quotes a 2010 figure of around 10%.
- Integration of immigrants; Alghabra said he would work towards the recognition of foreign credentials.
On Canadian democracy, Alghabra stated:[3]
I was raised in areas where they don't believe in democracy and civil rights, cultures of equality and justice, and there is no belief that a citizen has the power over their own destiny...now I have a unique appreciation for Canada and what Canada has to offer, so it is that passion about striving to protect the idea and the noble concept of democracy.
References
- ↑ "Two approaches to political advertising: Humour versus vilification". National Post.
- ↑ Jane Taber. "And now for something completely different in political ads: ‘blind puppies’ and ‘smart pantsery’". Globe and Mail.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Saaliha Malik (2010-02-01). "TALKING WITH OMAR ALGHABRA". The Medium.