Brampton NDP MPP leaves Black caucus to sit as independent

 

Kevin Yarde

Kevin Yarde, MPP for Brampton North has announced that he will sit as an independent in the Ontario Legislature until his term ends.

He said he made the decision to leave the NDP caucus after careful discussion with his family.

Yarde, the first Black member of the provincial parliament for the Peel Region, lost a nomination contest for Brampton North earlier this month to human rights advocate Sandeep Singh.

Singh will be running against Liberal candidate Harinder Malhi, PC candidate Graham McGregor and Aneed Dhada of the Green Party in the elections in June.

NDP policy allows anyone to challenge for a nomination, even in a riding with an incumbent. Andrea Horwath, party leader, says she will review that policy going forward.

The Ontario legislature is set to be in session today (Thursday) for the government to introduce its budget, then could potentially not sit again ahead of an expected early June election call.

Yarde, a former Weather Network Forecaster, told The Caribbean Camera that he is considering his political options which include running in the municipal elections in Brampton this year.

Eight Black candidates are running for the Ontario NDP in the upcoming elections.

They are as follows:  Faisal Hassan – York South-Weston; Dr. Laura Mae Lindo – Kitchener Centre; Marjorie Knight – Cambridge; Dr. Jill Andrew – Toronto-St. Paul’s; Andria Barrett – Brampton South; Gemma Grey-Hall – Windsor- Tecumseh; Rhyan Vincent-Smith – Oakville North-Burlington and Felicia Samuel – Scarborough-Rouge Park.