Liberal Leadership Candidate Ruby Dhalla Faces Party Scrutiny Ahead of Key Debate
Liberal leadership candidate Ruby Dhalla is under scrutiny from the party just days before two crucial leadership debates next week.
Dhalla, a former Liberal MP who served from 2004 until her defeat in the 2011 election, is among the contenders vying to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following his decision to step down.
A spokesperson for Dhalla’s campaign confirmed she is being questioned but did not specify the reasons behind the inquiry. However, the party later stated that all requested information had been provided.
“As an outsider ready to bring real change to the Liberal Party and fight for Canadians, I am looking forward to the debates in Montreal to share my vision for delivering real solutions,” Dhalla said in a statement to CTV News on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, The Globe and Mail reported that Dhalla was facing questions about possible Indian interference in her campaign. However, in response, the party’s director of communications, Parker Lund, clarified that none of the questions put to Dhalla’s campaign were related to foreign government interference.
Dhalla strongly denied the allegations in a post on X, emphasizing the importance of diverse representation in Canadian politics.
“Our Parliament and political leadership must reflect the diversity of our country,” she wrote. “As the first woman of colour to run for Prime Minister in Canada’s history, I will not allow every person of colour or Canadian from a multicultural community to be painted with the brush of foreign interference.”
When asked about the matter on Thursday, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty stated he was unaware of any foreign interference allegations related to Dhalla’s campaign.
“I really have no insight or comment on that. That’s a question for the Liberal Party of Canada,” McGuinty said.
The Liberal Party will host two leadership debates in Montreal: a French-language debate on February 24, followed by an English debate on February 25.
Last week, Dhalla confirmed her participation in the French debate despite the party rejecting her request for an interpreter.
On Thursday, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge weighed in on whether the next Liberal leader should be fluently bilingual, emphasizing its importance.
“I think that the next prime minister needs to reflect the reality that in Canada, we have two official languages—French and English—and the next leader and prime minister needs to be able to address the French population in French,” St-Onge said.
The new leader of the Liberal Party will be chosen on March 9.
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