Who is Ruby Dhalla?

Ruby Dhalla. / Ruby Dhalla/Facebook

“A historic moment & historic picture symbolizing the heights the Indian diaspora has achieved globally. As the first woman of Indian Origin to be elected as MP in Canada & the Western World, it was a proud moment to meet the first-ever Prime Minister of Indian Origin (Rishi Sunak) elected in the UK & the Western World. 

“A moment filled with pride & emotion,” wrote Ruby Dhalla in her social media post (in 2023) carrying her picture with British PM Rishi Sunak.

Little did she realise then that less than two years later, she would be running to be the leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada.

Ruby Dhalla represented Brampton-Springdale riding in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 (38th House of Commons), she and Neena Grewal earned the distinction of becoming the first women of Indian descent to sit in the House of Commons, (Canadian Parliament). While Ruby Dhalla represented Liberals, Neena won on a Conservative ticket. Incidentally, Neena and Ruby retained their seats in the 39th House of Commons.

As an MP, she was an instant hit with the younger crowd. I still have fond memories of a blog my son, Paul Syng, wrote for GQ magazine after his chance encounter with her at a GTA eatery nearly 15 years ago.

Ruby Dhalla, who originally hails from Punjab, started her career as a qualified chiropractor before taking to politics.

The death of her brother, Neil, was a big path-changer for her.  At an event organised to celebrate Neil, Ruby Dhalla took to her social media handles to give vent to her emotions: “Two years today… life changed… my brother, best friend, mentor, inspiration & the pillar of our house went to be with God.. there are no words to describe the pain & the heartache my mom, family, his friends and I all feel.

“Our house and our hearts are empty but our minds are full of beautiful moments & memories. We can’t see him but know he is here with us, blessing us, protecting us & praying for us.

“Thank you to our family & friends for your love, your support, your kindness, your calls, your hugs, & your prayers. You give us strength. This dinner was for all of you & our incredible team at our companies as we unveiled Neil’s picture to champion him & his journey.

“With music, dance, songs, love, laughter & his incredible staff who were his extended family it was a memorable evening Celebrating Neil’s life & legacy.

As a member of the Liberal caucus, she used to hold the limelight during her visits to India in general and Punjab in particular, especially during the initial editions of Pravasi Bharati Divas, including the ones held in New Delhi, and the Punjab versions held in Chandigarh.

In a recent interview, Ruby Dhalla stressed that she is the only candidate in the race who has no connection to the Trudeau government.

“The first act that I would do as the leader of the party is to ensure that we get back towards the centre, to the right of centre, because I think that is the need of the hour,” she said.

Describing herself as a “trailblazer, hotelier, philanthropist [and] motivational speaker” on her X page, Ruby Dhalla also touted her political and business experience.

“As a self-made businesswoman, I believe that I have a great understanding of the struggles and the sacrifices that business owners and entrepreneurs in our country are facing.”

In another social media post in which she talked about her shift to the hotel industry, Ruby Dhalla wrote: “The best teacher is always life & experience & the best teachings are when you are faced with adversity & tragedy. When my brother passed & my world collapsed … I knew I only had one option ….
“To pick up from where he left off and build upon his hard work & my mother’s sacrifices & take on the family's responsibilities. 
“There was only one problem while I was fearless & determined to take on our family’s responsibilities I only knew how to book hotels & pick the ones I wanted to stay out of. Many wondered if I would be able to make it…However in life, anything & everything is possible with a plan, with drive, determination, perseverance, patience & passion.

“An exponential learning curve, combined with a lot of long hours, working 7 days a week, laser-sharp focus, & a relentless ambition to become knowledgeable about the intricacies of the hotel space from acquisitions to operations has resulted in expansion, growth & a great honour from the hotel industry as the keynote speaker at a hotel conference for women hoteliers,” read another post on her social media handles.

“As a champion of women & supporter of empowering women, I hope my journey will inspire, empower & motivate.

“Whether you are a woman or a man, a hotelier or working at Walmart … when you are down there is only one way to go … and that is Up.

“Make the most of it… get up & get going,” she said in another post. And now she is doing the same. Staging a comeback to politics after a sabbatical.

Will she impact the Liberal party leadership race after such a long break from politics? This is a million dollar question every Canadian of Indian descent is asking.