Former Edmonton MP Rahim Jaffer enters mayor’s race

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    A former Conservative MP with a long, scandalous history is hoping to replace Amarjeet Sohi as Edmonton’s Mayor. As James Dunn reports, he’s not hiding from the skeletons in his closet.

    By News Staff

    One of Canada’s first muslim politicians is looking to get back in the spotlight.

    Rahim Jaffer is running to become Edmonton’s next mayor.

    He was a Conservative MP for Old Strathcona for close to ten years until 2008. Despite this, he is running as an independent and is not a fan of parties at the local level.

    “I am happy to be independent and work with whoever gets elected,” said Jaffer. “I always had people from different walks of life, different parties, we collaborated and worked together… we can do that at city hall with the right leadership.”

    After politics, Jaffer was hit with multiple scandals, including conflict of interest breaches.

    In 2009, Jaffer was convicted of careless driving in Ontario after charges of impaired driving and cocaine possession were dropped.

    After announcing his run for mayor, Jaffer says he’s grown from those mistakes.

    “I am fortunate, unlike maybe some future candidates… I don’t have any skeletons in my closet. They’re all out there so people can see the good, the bad, and anything in between,” he explained. “We all grow from those mistakes, we all learn how to do better.” “I think one of the things people want is change at city hall, and they want some experience, whether good or bad, to be able to lead.”

    Jaffer hammered one campaign promise of reducing red tape. “We need a fresh vision of this city. One that matches the scale of the challenges we face,” said Jaffer.

    “We can create a city that’s safe again, a city where parents feel confident letting their kids ride the bus or take the LRT, where entrepreneurs can open new businesses, not watch their stores and shops get suffocated by red tape, taxes, and regulation.”

    The mayor’s race is starting to get crowded. Jaffer will have to compete with current councillors Tim Cartmell and Andrew Knack, and former councillor Tony Caterina.

    Jaffer says he plans to unveil campaign promises in the coming weeks and months ahead of election day on October 20th.

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