Rana Bokhari

Rana Bokhari
Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party
Incumbent
Assumed office October 26, 2013
Preceded by	Jon Gerrard
Personal details
Born	1977 Anola, Manitoba
Political party	Manitoba Liberal Party Liberal Party of Canada
Residence	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Alma mater	University of Manitoba
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Commercial Law
Website	http://www.manitobaliberals.ca

Rana Bokhari, is a politician and lawyer in Manitoba, Canada. She was elected leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party on October 26, 2013 after Jon Gerrard's resignation following the 2011 general election.^[1]

Background

Bokhari is a first-generation Canadian who grew up in rural Anola, Manitoba. As a student she attended the University of Manitoba where she obtained degrees in criminology and psychology. She then went on to complete a degree in law at Robson Hall, focusing on corporate commercial law. While completing her law degree, Bokhari was active in the Manitoba Law Students Association, serving as President in 2012.^[2] She also appeared in the 2012-2013 Words to Lead by (Vol 3) put out by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

Bokhari moved to Pakistan in 2002, living there with her family until she returned to Winnipeg in 2006.^[3] Her childhood home and family chicken farm were lost to fire in 2012.^[4]

Liberal leadership

She won a first ballot victory by one vote, with 431 votes. The minimum number of votes needed to win on the first round of voting was 430. She defeated Dougald Lamont and Bob Axworthy in the leadership contest.^[5]

The victory made Rana Bokhari the youngest person ever to lead the Manitoba Liberals and the first Manitoban of South Asian descent to lead a political party in the province.^[6] She is also the first Muslim Canadian woman to lead a political party in Canada.

Her leadership has faced internal criticism, from party members and former leadership challenger Bob Axworthy, who accused Bokhari of “purging” longtime Manitoba Liberal Members as she solidified control of the party.^[7] Party membership and fundraising has been a challenge^[8] as Bokhari has focused on rebuilding a party that has lacked official party status in the Manitoba Legislature since the mid 90’s. However, party support as indicated by public opinion polls are now higher than it has been in over a decade, with about 1 in 5 Manitobans considering the Liberal Party in the next election.^[9]

Since becoming leader the Manitoba Liberals under Bokhari called for independent investigation into discharge procedures at Manitoba hospitals,^[10] raised concerns on education funding,^[11] called for an inquest into missing and murdered Aboriginal woman,^[12] and supported the raising of the PST with a commitment to using the tax increase for a dedicated municipal infrastructure fund.^[13] Bokhari's latest policy release concerned mental health and vowed to see psychiatrists more accessible to Manitobans, by funding them in a similar way to physicians.^[14]

Bokhari has committed to making Manitoba the "hub of something" in her year end interview with the Winnipeg Free Press. She explained "I want Manitoba to be the IT capital of this country or the innovation capital of this country."^[15]

Bokhari joined former premier Gary Filmon in endorsing Manitoba Progressive Conservative backed and winning mayoral candidate Brian Bowman in the 2014 Winnipeg Municipal election.^[16]

In 2014 Bokhari stepped down from her job as a lawyer at the Carroll Law Office after media reported the firm was under investigation for mishandling compensation claims of Indian Residential School survivors.^[17] The Globe and Mail reported later in 2014 that First Nations Residential School Solutions Inc. (FNRSSI), owned by Bokhari’s brother Syed Bokhari, was being investigated by the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat for receiving improper fees.^[18]

See also

• List of Asian-Canadian First Ministers

References