Thursday, January 15, 2026
ADVT 
National

Liberals revoke Arya's nomination, after removing him from leadership race

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Mar, 2025 05:07 PM
  • Liberals revoke Arya's nomination, after removing him from leadership race

Liberal MP Chandra Arya says his nomination to run for the party again in his Ottawa riding has been revoked.

The 62-year-old has represented the city's Nepean seat since 2015.

The decision to remove him comes almost two months after the party also told Arya it would not accept him as a candidate for the leadership.

National campaign director Andrew Bevan informed Arya in a letter today, just days before an expected election call.

Arya had already been nominated, but the letter says new information obtained by the party's "green light committee" led the campaign co-chair to recommend that his "status as a candidate" be revoked.

Bevan does not include any details about the new information.

Arya, who shared the letter on his Facebook page, says being an MP was the "responsibility of my life."

"While this news is deeply disappointing, it does not diminish the profound honour and privilege it has been to serve the people of Nepean — and all Canadians — as their Member of Parliament since 2015," he wrote.

The party also refused to provide any information when it rejected Arya's candidacy for the leadership race in January. 

The decision opens an Ottawa seat as an option for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has thus far not declared which riding he intends to run in during the election.

Various Liberals have suggested Carney could run in Edmonton, where he grew up; in Toronto, where the Liberals tend to do well; or in Ottawa, where he now lives.

Carney is widely expected to visit Rideau Hall to launch the election on Sunday, for a vote on either April 28 or May 5.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Liberal race sucked into Trump's 'gravitational field,' strategists say

Liberal race sucked into Trump's 'gravitational field,' strategists say
Liberal leadership hopefuls are pivoting and responding to the attention-consuming existential threats to Canadian trade posed by U.S. President Donald Trump — a preview of what the next federal election is going to look like, according to Liberal strategists.

Liberal race sucked into Trump's 'gravitational field,' strategists say

B.C. faces child welfare social work 'crisis,' porn disrupts video announcing report

B.C. faces child welfare social work 'crisis,' porn disrupts video announcing report
British Columbia's children's representative says child welfare social workers in the province are "in a state of crisis" and it will likely take a decade to fix things, even with committed efforts. But an online news conference with Jennifer Charlesworth after the report was released was interrupted when a participant shouted racial slurs and then began showing a pornographic video.

B.C. faces child welfare social work 'crisis,' porn disrupts video announcing report

Arctic outflow, extreme cold warnings still up in parts of B.C. and cold persists

Arctic outflow, extreme cold warnings still up in parts of B.C. and cold persists
Much of British Columbia is thawing to seasonal temperatures, although arctic outflow warnings remain in place for some parts of the province. Environment Canada says an arctic air mass is bringing strong winds through the Whistler Valley and wind-chill values near -20 C while snow remains in Metro Vancouver, where temperatures are still below freezing.

Arctic outflow, extreme cold warnings still up in parts of B.C. and cold persists

Abbotsford daycare owner charged with six counts of assaulting children

Abbotsford daycare owner charged with six counts of assaulting children
Police say an East Abbotsford daycare owner has been charged with allegedly assaulting children in her care. Abbotsford Police say officers launched an investigation into reports that the 60-year-old had assaulted children in October.

Abbotsford daycare owner charged with six counts of assaulting children

B.C. addictions doctor resigns, placed on leave over unsanctioned overdose sites

B.C. addictions doctor resigns, placed on leave over unsanctioned overdose sites
A Vancouver Island doctor involved in setting up unsanctioned overdose prevention sites has resigned from her positions with Island Health, claiming she was placed on leave as punishment for her public advocacy work. Dr. Jess Wilder, a co-founder of the group Doctors for Safer Drug Policy, says in a resignation letter dated Feb. 5 that she's leaving her positions with Island Health "immediately." 

B.C. addictions doctor resigns, placed on leave over unsanctioned overdose sites

Canadian pride is on the rise in wake of Trump's tariff threat - especially in Quebec

Canadian pride is on the rise in wake of Trump's tariff threat - especially in Quebec
Two new polls suggest Quebecers are feeling pretty good about their relationship with Canada these days. Between December and February, the share of Quebecers who said they were "very proud" or "proud" to be Canadian increased 13 points from 45 per cent to 58 per cent, according to an Angus Reid poll conducted online Sunday and Monday.

Canadian pride is on the rise in wake of Trump's tariff threat - especially in Quebec