New Faces, New Questions: Ethnic Media Reactions to Canada’s 2025 Election Results - Part I

Canada’s 2025 federal election delivered historic shifts—not only in who will govern, but in who holds political power within the country’s cultural communities. While mainstream coverage centers on Mark Carney’s Liberal minority and Pierre Poilievre’s failure to secure his seat, ethnic media has illuminated a deeper narrative, one that probes issues of representation, belonging, and national cohesion from community-specific vantage points.

Representation and Reaction

One of the most striking outcomes of the election was the record-breaking 22 MPs of Punjabi origin elected to Parliament. This surge was especially visible in Brampton, where all five ridings went to Punjabi candidates—an achievement widely reported across Indian and Chinese-language media.
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In Vancouver, Chinese-language outlet Van People acknowledged the milestone but also reflected unease among some readers. Online commenters expressed concerns about whether these new MPs would focus on shared Canadian values, Indigenous reconciliation, and bilingualism—underscoring tensions around political integration in a multicultural democracy.

In contrast, Punjabi-language media embraced the result as a breakthrough moment. Red FM in Toronto and Hamdard Weekly in Mississauga portrayed the elections as proof of political maturity within the Punjabi-Canadian community. NDTV in New Delhi highlighted that over 6% of Parliament is now composed of Punjabi-origin MPs, calling it a powerful symbol of diaspora influence on the global stage.

A New Political Era for Chinese Canadians

Chinese-Canadian candidates also saw major electoral gains, with nine winning seats across Ontario and British Columbia. Vancouver’s Vansky spotlighted high-profile victories, including Shaun Chen and Jean Yip, as markers of the community’s rising engagement and trust from voters.

The election of Wade Chang in Burnaby Central, where he unseated NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, was particularly significant. Canada News Network in Vancouver highlighted Chang’s platform, which prioritized healthcare reform and a proposal to transform the BCIT area into a Pacific tech hub that would strengthen Canada’s economic and scientific links with Asia.

Still, some cautionary notes emerged. Articles in Van People and Canada News Network echoed frustrations among voters over neglected urban infrastructure and unfulfilled promises from long-standing MPs. The celebratory tone was paired with an insistence on accountability.

The Collapse of the NDP—and Jagmeet Singh

Nowhere was the shift in political fortunes more dramatic than in the collapse of the New Democratic Party and the personal defeat of its leader, Jagmeet Singh. Once viewed as a symbol of progressive, multicultural politics, Singh lost his seat in Burnaby Centre, and the NDP’s national seat count fell from 24 to just 7.

Coverage in Punjab Star (Mississauga) and India’s Dainik Jagran interpreted Singh’s loss as the end of an era, pointing to his past association with Khalistani activism as a liability—particularly during a period of strained relations between India and Canada. ABP News (India) noted that many Indian-origin voters viewed Singh’s stance as oppositional to India’s interests.

At Red FM in Brampton, commentary acknowledged Singh’s impact on Canadian politics but emphasized that the NDP’s failure to carve out a distinct platform—and its dependency on the Liberals—ultimately eroded support. On Toronto’s Radio Humsafar, callers voiced frustration that the party had become politically stagnant and unresponsive to evolving community needs.

Carney’s Win: A Cautious Reset

Ethnic media coverage of Mark Carney’s victory was largely characterized by measured optimism. Carney’s technocratic reputation, combined with his promise of renewed diplomatic outreach, especially toward India, was seen as a potential reset after the contentious Trudeau years.

In New Delhi, Amar Ujala and Dainik Hindustan framed Carney as a chance to repair damaged bilateral relations and highlighted his visible efforts to engage with Indian-Canadian communities—attending temple festivals and signaling openness to strategic cooperation.

In Montreal, the Romanian paper Accent praised Carney’s economic expertise and his emphasis on defending Canadian sovereignty amid escalating U.S. trade pressure. Zycie, a Polish-language weekly in Toronto, echoed cautious approval while warning that voters may quickly tire of continued Liberal dominance if reforms are not delivered.

Meanwhile, Goniec, another Polish outlet in Toronto, was openly skeptical, branding Carney a "media product" and predicting more of the same under his leadership—a sentiment that echoed in corners of Russian and Ukrainian media as well.

Electoral Integrity and Community Trust

One of the most widely discussed—and controversial—election moments in ethnic media came from Chinese-language WeChat groups in Edmonton, where a video surfaced showing election staff in Hamilton placing ballot boxes into a private vehicle. The footage, reported by Edmonton Official WeChat, sparked intense outrage and skepticism.

While Elections Canada downplayed the incident as procedural, online posts asked bluntly: “If this happened in China, would Canada not call it election fraud?” For many immigrant communities, trust in institutions is not automatic—it is earned. When transparency falters, ethnic media becomes the platform through which these concerns are aired, debated, and legitimized.

Beyond the Headlines

As the national media pivots toward post-election strategy and party leadership speculation, ethnic media remains focused on more foundational questions: Who speaks for immigrant communities? Does descriptive representation translate into policy impact? And will Ottawa treat diversity as an asset or a wedge?

From Mandarin-language commentary in Vancouver about political integration, to Punjabi talk shows in Brampton questioning economic priorities, Canada’s ethnic media doesn’t just report the news—it redefines the terms of political engagement.