Political career
Arya was elected to represent the riding of Nepean in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election and was re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 elections. [4] [5] [6] [7] He served as a member of the Standing Committee on International Trade. [8]
During the 2021 election campaign,Arya was criticized by members of the Ottawa Punjabi Association,who put up anti-Arya signs during the campaign. They accused him of not taking a stronger stance against the Indian government's efforts to reform certain farming practices. [9] [3]
In 2022,Arya became the first member of parliament to speak in Kannada,his mother tongue,in the House of Commons of Canada. [2] Arya blamed "Khalistani extremists" for vandalizing Hindu temples in Toronto. [10]
On April 14,2023,Arya sponsored petition e-4395,calling on the Liberal government to reconsider setting up a "foreign influence transparency registry." [11] Arya told Global News that he agrees with the concerns expressed by the petitioners. [12] Trudeau,who was asked about the petition,responded by saying he supported the registry but argued to be cautious with the implementation. [13]
After allegations of Indian government involvement in the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar were made public,Arya said to CBC News that Hindu Canadians were "fearful" of Sikh separatist supporters. When the Toronto Star inquired about his comments,he refused to speak to them by stating that he only does "live interviews" to avoid being misquoted. [14] In summer 2024,Arya travelled to India and met prime minister Narendra Modi. Global Affairs Canada released a statement saying that Arya "travelled to India on his own initiative and was not representing the Government of Canada." [15]
Arya declared his candidacy for the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election upon the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. [16] [17] Arya cannot speak French,but does not believe his lack of French matters to French-speaking Canadians. [15] [18] On January 26,2025,his candidacy was ruled ineligible by the Liberal Party of Canada after the party's review committee deemed Arya "manifestly unfit" to lead the party, [19] and he was barred from running in the 2025 leadership election. [20]
On March 20,2025,the Liberal Party revoked his nomination to run under the party banner in the 2025 federal election. [21] Two days later,Prime Minister Mark Carney was announced as the new Liberal candidate for Nepean. [22]
Political positions
Arya supports abolition of the monarchy,seeks to lead a "small,more efficient government",and opposes diversity,equity,and inclusion quotas. [23] He proposes taxing expatriate citizens,would remove carbon pricing,and supports recognizing Palestine as a state. Arya would criminalize displays of support for terrorists and “extremism”,seeks to position Canada as an "energy superpower",and argues that Trudeau's immigration policies have caused Canada to rely on "cheap,foreign labour". [24]
Controversies
Ethics inquiry
In 2016,political journalist Kady O'Malley reported that Arya faced an ethics inquiry after awarding 26 graduating elementary,middle school,and high school students either an Amazon Kindle e-reader or $500 in cash for showing "perseverance in the face of adversity". [25] Arya defended himself against accusations that he violated the House of Commons conflict of interest code by stating that the Nepean Liberal Riding Association paid for the award. [26]
Email scandal
In 2021,Arya apologized after a staffer emailed private information of nine hundred constituents to Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) staffers. The CPC told their staffers to delete the email and Arya didn't face any sanctions due to Canadian privacy laws. [27]
Taxpayer gift spending
In February 2023,Global News reported that from July 2020 to September 30,2022,Arya outpaced his house colleagues in "protocol" gifts by purchasing 1,025 plaques for a total worth of $21,931 by using taxpayer funds. Global noted that contracted to a single company SINIX Media Group,who received fifty-three contracts for an amount of $53,681.50 from Arya’s constituency office over the same period. He told the outlet that the plaques were for his constituents but ignored any questions about a working relationship with the firm's chief executive officer. [31]
Liberal motion opposition
In March 2024,Arya sent an email trying to convince his fellow members of parliament to oppose fellow Liberal caucus member Sukh Dhaliwal's motion-M112,"Political Interference,Violence,or Intimidation on Canadian Soil," stating that it would damage relations with India. Dhaliwal responded to The Hill Times that the motion was meant to protect every Canadian,regardless of background,from all forms of foreign interference. [32] While a few parliamentarians abstained from the vote,the motion passed unanimously. [33]
Controversy surrounding Kaali poster
In 2022,when filmmaker Leena Manimekalai faced backlash online for a poster of her movie Kaali,which depicted the Hindu goddess Kali smoking and holding a rainbow flag,he condemned the poster on Twitter and linked it to vandalism of Hindu temples. [34] Manimekalai argued that Arya used his position to legitimize threats against her, [35] while over a hundred academics,activists,and community organization members sent a letter criticizing Arya's remarks to prime minister Trudeau. [36]
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