BRAMPTON SOUTH: 2022 ONTARIO ELECTION PROFILE

THE RIDING

Located near the border of the Regional Municipality of Halton, Brampton South begins at Embleton Road in the southwest and extends northeast to Kennedy Road North and Steeles Avenue East.

The riding includes downtown Brampton.

Its northwest boundaries are Queen Street West, McLaughlin Road North, Williams Parkway West, Main Street North and Vodden Street East.

From Steeles Avenue East, the riding covers Hurontario Street until the southeast city limit with Mississauga. The riding continues generally southwest and northwest along the city limits.

According to the 2021 census, the riding has a population of 132,752, which is an increase of more than 11,500 people since 2016.

THE RACE

• Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (incumbent)

• Marilyn Raphael, Ontario Liberal Party

• Andria Barrett, Ontario NDP

• Ines Espinoza, Green Party of Ontario

• Mike Mol, New Blue Party of Ontario

• Mehdi Pakzad, None of the Above Direct Democracy Party

THE ISSUES

Some of the issues outlined by candidates include improving quality and access to health care; cost of living; education investments; housing affordability and illegal rooming houses, auto insurance; transit improvement and expansion; highways and infrastructure; COVID-19 economic recovery; creating new economic opportunities; improving public safety; waste management; and mental health assistance.

According to 2016 census data, South Asian, Black and Filipino are the most populous minority groups represented in the riding,

the median household income is $75,004 and the median age in the riding is 37.

BACKGROUND

The riding was re-created as a result of redistribution set out in the Representation Act, 2015 to align with the federal electoral districts. It was contested in the 2018 provincial election for the first time since 1995.

Prabmeet Sarkaria has represented the riding at Queen's Park since 2018, when he earned 41.01 per cent of votes, beating out NDP candidate Paramjit Gill by just over 2,700 votes.

Sarkaria has also been serving as the province's president of the Treasury Board since last June and was previously the associate minister of small business and red tape reduction.

The provincial election is scheduled for June 2.