| Sonia Sidhu | |
| Riding: | Brampton South |
| Parliament: | Canadian |
| Term Start: | October 19, 2015 |
| Predecessor: | New district |
| Birth Place: | India |
| Party: | Liberal |
| Residence: | Brampton, Ontario[1] |
| Spouse: | Gurjit |
| Website: | ssidhu.liberal.ca |
Satinderpal "Sonia" Sidhu is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal electoral district of Brampton South during the 2015 Canadian federal election.[2] [3] [4]
Born in India, Sidhu arrived in Canada in 1992.[5]
Sonia Sidhu is the Member of Parliament for Brampton South. She was elected on October 19, 2015 as the Liberal candidate.[6] Before politics, she worked for over 18 years in the healthcare field as a diabetes educator and research coordinator. Sonia has worked as a volunteer on political campaigns at all three levels of government, and she also volunteered with numerous organisations.[7]
In Parliament, she sits on the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Health, and also was appointed to sit as a member of the Special Committee on Pay Equity. She is Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women as well as the Chair and the Liberal caucus champion for the All-Party Diabetes Caucus. MP Sidhu is also the General-Secretary of the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and an executive member of both the Canada-Poland and Canada-Portugal Parliamentary Friendship Groups. She further sits as a member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.[8]
During the 43rd Canadian Parliament Sidhu's private member bill An Act to establish a national framework for diabetes (Bill C-237) was adopted to require the Minister of Health, within one year, to develop a framework to improve access to information on diabetes prevention and treatment.[9] The framework was tabled in the House of Commons on October 5, 2022 which outlines a common policy direction for diabetes across the country.[10]
Sidhu was one of five Ontario Liberal MPs to call on the federal government to work with provinces and territories to establish and implement enforceable national standards for long-term care homes in Canada.[11] The 2020 Speech from the Throne committed the Government of Canada to work with the provinces and territories to set new, national standards for LTC so that seniors get the best support possible.[12]
During the 44th Canadian Parliament, Sidhu put a motion on notice in the House of Commons (M-82) pertaining to active living in Canada.[13] She also made a call to action calling on all MPs to end the practice of gender-based heckling in the House of Commons.[14]
Throughout her time in office, Sidhu has been vocal around women's rights, health care outcomes, and affordable housing, always supporting and voting in favor of progressive legislation aimed at advancing these issues.[15] She spoke against Bill C-311, put forward by the Conservative Member from Yorkton—Melville, which she said was a thinly veiled attempt to reopen Canada's abortion debate.[16]
She lives in her riding of Brampton South with her husband, Gurjit. She has twin daughters and a son.[17]