The Liberal member representing "Nabyan" in the Canadian Parliament: Chandra Arya:
"Arab immigrants came to Canada, worked hard, and helped build the Canadian community"
 
Interview conducted by: Ameera Nasser
 
In a special interview for the "Arab Canada" newspaper with the Liberal member of the Canadian Parliament and representative for the Nabyan region "Chandra Arya", he spoke about the most important achievements he has made during his representation of the Nabyan region in the Canadian Parliament and about the key plans he wants to implement if he manages to win in the upcoming federal elections next October.
 

First, what are the most important things you wanted to achieve upon your arrival as a representative of the people in Parliament?
Of course, I had three main goals. The first was to provide affordable housing for people; I wanted to ensure that all Canadians could access suitable housing, whether it be renting a home or buying their own house. The second goal for me is that there are eleven Canadian workers who do not have retirement security, so I wanted to provide them with security for their retirement. As for the third goal, it relates to political engagement in the global economy; I wanted to ensure that Canada plays a leading role so that we can enjoy the same global prosperity and success, and to attain a decent standard of living that we have today, which should also be accessible to our children and future generations.
What have you managed to achieve from these goals?
Yes, we have definitely achieved them. We were able to make unprecedented investments in providing housing for everyone, amounting to about fifty billion dollars. This achievement is the first of its kind in Canadian history. Regarding the second goal, which is securing income for retirees, we have actually made many steps in this regard to assist both current and future retirees. For example, we established the Canadian pension plan, and the revenues generated from this plan will raise at least 50% of retirees' incomes. We have successfully reduced the retirement age from 67 to 65 years, and we managed to make some changes to help retirees avoid paying interest on their funds if they wish to work during their retirement.
On the global economic participation front, we are working hard in the field of innovation and development by investing hundreds of millions of dollars focused on startups in the tech sector to larger companies, so that Canada can become one of the leading countries striving for technological development globally.
One of the best things I can talk about is that in the "Nabyan" area alone, there are 13,000 students supported in education. We have achieved a lot, but there are many aspirations that we are still striving to fulfill.
 
There are opponents to you in this election, especially from the supporters of the Conservative Party, who talk about your directing services and funds to immigrants instead of Canadians. How do you respond to these accusations?
Certainly, this is completely wrong. As you know, there is a massive program to support Canadian child care; this program provides support to nine out of ten Canadian families. This program does not differentiate between whether a child is born in Canada or not. Additionally, we managed to lift 3,000 children out of poverty; these children were not discriminated against as new Canadians or not; thus, every Canadian child can benefit from this program regardless of their origins.
We also managed to reduce part of the taxes on the burden of the middle class, and we were able to help retirees and the elderly. We provided a program that supports every Canadian child, so everything we do and strive for benefits all Canadians without exception.
 
What will Canadians lose if they do not choose the Liberals to win the parliamentary seat again?
There are many significant problems that will arise if the Conservative Party wins the elections; they have already exempted the wealthy class from paying taxes. When you exempt this class from taxes, you also stop the services provided to the middle class. The Conservatives have also fought the Canadian child care program that exempts families from paying taxes on income they receive regularly monthly. They have also fought the formation of the pension plan for Canadian retirees that we established. One of the things that I fear the most is the cessation of all these vital services that we have achieved to improve the lives of Canadians.
 
It is clear that there are many supporters for you in your area from immigrant communities to Canada. How do you see the contribution of immigrants to Canada?
Canada has been built by the contribution of many immigrants coming from various parts of the world. Immigrants from Western Europe have come, followed by migrants from the Indian continent, South America, Africa, and Eastern Europe; all of them have contributed a lot and helped build this country. It is not important to know what country you came from or what culture and heritage you carry; everyone came to help build Canada.
Arab immigrants have also come to Canada, worked hard, and helped build the Canadian community. It is great that Canadian immigrants, like all other Canadians, have made every effort to make Canada a strong country, and they continue to contribute to building Canada's economy to increase the wealth of this country today and for the future.
 
What message do you want to send to Canadians ahead of the federal elections in October?
All I want is to direct people to see what has been accomplished in the past four years. As we promised, we have worked hard, provided a million job opportunities, and managed to lower the national unemployment rate to its lowest level in forty years. We established the "Canadian Child Care" program and formulated the "Canadian Pension Plan." We have done a lot so far, but the most important thing is that there are many other things that still need work. We need everyone's support to achieve that. For example, we have one of the best health systems in the world; personally, I want to have a plan for pharmaceutical insurance for all Canadians.
We, the Liberal Party, want to continue what we have been doing, and therefore we want the support and endorsement of Canadians. I have worked hard in the past four years; I have actively participated in 1,400 meetings and 1,100 community events in Ottawa. I have attended 27 events in the Canadian Parliament. I have done a lot, and I will continue to do so, and that is why I need Canadians to support me.