Press Release of June 1st: NDP LFLA Nominates Arif Jinha to run in next federal election

Arif Jinha, a Carleton Place resident, has been acclaimed as the Federal NDP candidate for Lanark Frontenac Lennox and Addington.

Mr. Jinha works at the University of Ottawa coordinating programs in international development and health care. He started working in social services in 1999 and has worked for several agencies in Ottawa and Lanark County. He’s getting a solid education in economics, development, political science, conflict and international human rights as a graduate student in Globalization and International Development.

Arif feels that being an underdog candidate is a perfect opportunity for genuine politics and democratic conversation in the riding. That’s why he is running. "I get the opportunity to meet people, to talk to them, to raise issues. I’ve got the responsibility of representing the party of Tommy Douglas, the Greatest Canadian and my intention is to do so well, so that there is democratic choice in this riding."

Arif plans a 'low-carbon, high-impact' week-long bike tour to engage voters in the beautiful riding later this summer. Part of his job will be to convince fellow residents to vote at all. On the one hand, there is no shortage of pressing problems that are hitting us hard: rural poverty, declining agricultural incomes, unfair competition for Canadian manufacturers, unfairness for small enterprises, local producers and sellers, a shortage of doctors and nurses, chaos in parliament, procrastination on the environment, and worsening global poverty and insecurity. On the other hand, getting government to be responsive, to implement real change, to play its role in fairness in the economy or to do anything truly satisfying and good, in its most basic role in serving citizens, seems improbable to the voter. Arif believes the worst thing to do at this time, however, is to disengage.

”To quote Leonard Cohen, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.’ This is your government, question your representatives if they tell you what is in the public interest can't or shouldn't be done. Give the today's youth a voice in this election. Give them hope that they will inherit a better world. Take your voice back, practice your freedom to discuss, debate, vote and don't forget to make friends."

- Arif Jinha, candidate for LFLA.

:)Democracy is coming to the LFLA...