Leela Sharon Aheer ECA (born September 26, 1970) is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2015 Alberta election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and re-elected in the 2019 Alberta general election.
Leela Aheer | |
|---|---|
 Aheer in 2015 | |
| Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism & Status of Women | |
| In office April 30, 2019 – July 8, 2021 | |
| Premier | Jason Kenney |
| Preceded by | Danielle Larivee |
| Succeeded by | Ron Orr |
| Deputy Leader of the United Conservative Party | |
| In office October 30, 2017 – July 8, 2021 | |
| Leader | Jason Kenney |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Chestermere-Strathmore (Chestermere-Rocky View; 2015–2019) | |
| In office May 5, 2015 – May 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Bruce McAllister |
| Succeeded by | Chantelle de Jonge |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Leela Sharon Aheer September 26, 1970 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | United Conservative |
| Other political affiliations | Wildrose (2015–17) |
| Residence(s) | Chestermere, Alberta, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Calgary University of Manitoba (B.M.) |
| Occupation | Business owner, music teacher[1] |
On June 8, 2022, Aheer announced her candidacy in the 2022 United Conservative Party leadership election.[2] She came last in the election.
Early life and career
editAheer was born in Edmonton in 1970 and moved with her family to Chestermere in 1979. Aheer comes from a Telugu family.[3] After graduating from Chestermere High School in 1988, Aheer spent ten months in South India, where her family originated.
Aheer began her university education in Political Science at the University of Calgary, but transferred to the University of Manitoba to earn a Bachelor of Music degree. Post-graduation, she taught music for 22 years and was involved in family-owned businesses, including property investment, a car wash, and a gas station.[4][5]
Political career
editWildrose MLA
editAheer defeated incumbent Wildrose-turned-PC MLA Bruce McAllister by a slim margin in 2015, becoming the second member to represent Chestermere-Rocky View.[6]
UCP Deputy Leader
editAheer supported the merger between Wildrose and the PCs based on the desires of her constituents.[7] On October 30, 2017, Aheer was appointed deputy leader of the United Conservative Party by newly elected leader Jason Kenney.[8] She expressed surprise at Kenney's move, describing herself as a "very centrist conservative" who might challenge some of his views.[7]
As deputy leader, she urged delegates at the founding UCP policy convention not to adopt an anti-GSA motion as official party policy. It passed with 57% support.[9]
She presumably ceased to be Deputy Leader on July 8, 2021, when she was shuffled out of cabinet.
Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism, and Status of Women
editOn April 30, 2019, Leela Aheer was appointed Alberta's Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism, and Status of Women.
As Minister, Aheer introduced Alberta's version of Clare's Law in tandem with Alberta's Minister of Community and Social Services, Rajan Sawhney. The legislation aims to empower those at potential risk of a domestic violence relationship to have access to information about their partner's criminal history and attempts to provide those at risk of domestic violence with fuller awareness of an intimate partner's previous history of domestic violence or violent acts.[10]
On November 19, 2019, Aheer declared the date Women's Entrepreneurship Day in Alberta at the first-ever Canadian-based Women's Entrepreneurship Day summit. The day seeks to break down the barriers faced by female entrepreneurs, and is the first time the day is recognized in Canada.[11] Aheer says the day is an “opportunity to be able to recognize the many ways women contribute to the economy.”[11]
She was removed from her position on July 8, 2021 after criticizing Jason Kenney.[12]
UCP Leadership Campaign
editOn June 8, 2022, Aheer announced her candidacy in the 2022 United Conservative Party leadership election at an event in Chestermere.[2] In August, Aheer helped rescue a rodeo participant in Strathmore, Alberta by grabbing a charging bull by its horns keep the bull back. Others had joined Aheer to intervene to stop the charging bull.[13]
In August, Aheer was cleared of violations of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act. She was originally fined for allegedly exceeding the contribution limit but was cleared by Calgary Court of Queen's Bench which rescinded the finding by the Alberta Elections Commissioner.[14]
After her first-ballot defeat in the leadership race, Aheer announced she would not be running for the United Conservative Party in the next provincial election, saying "I chose to run for the UCP leadership to reflect my commitment and values and give back to the province that has given so much to my family and me, but the members have stated their wishes for leadership and a new direction for our party. I respect their decision.”[15]
Following Ron Liepert's announcement that he would not be running in the 45th Canadian federal election, Aheer announced that she was seeking the Conservative Party of Canada nomination for Calgary Signal Hill.[16]
Electoral history
edit2019 general election
edit| 2019 Alberta general election: Chestermere-Strathmore | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Conservative | Leela Sharon Aheer | 15,612 | 68.48 | -3.57 | ||||
| New Democratic | Melissa Langmaid | 3,558 | 15.61 | -2.69 | ||||
| Freedom Conservative | Derek Fildebrandt | 1,683 | 7.38 | – | ||||
| Alberta Party | Jason Avramenko | 1,460 | 6.40 | +5.49 | ||||
| Liberal | Sharon L. Howe | 238 | 1.04 | +0.46 | ||||
| Alberta Independence | Roger Dean Walker | 136 | 0.60 | – | ||||
| Independent | Terry Nicholls | 112 | 0.49 | – | ||||
| Total | 22,799 | 99.25 | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 173 | 0.75 | ||||||
| Turnout | 22,972 | 67.12 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 34,226 | |||||||
| United Conservative notional hold | Swing | -0.44 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "56 - Chestermere-Strathmore, 2019 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020. Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume II (PDF) (Report). Vol. 2. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 243–248. ISBN 978-1-988620-12-1. Retrieved April 7, 2021. | ||||||||
2015 general election
edit| 2015 Alberta general election: Chestermere-Rocky View | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Wildrose | Leela Aheer | 7,676 | 37.04% | -21.32% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Bruce McAllister | 7,454 | 35.97% | 0.64% | ||||
| New Democratic | William James Pelech | 3,706 | 17.88% | 14.80% | ||||
| Independent | Jamie Lall | 1,093 | 5.27% | – | ||||
| Green | Coral Bliss Taylor | 405 | 1.95% | – | ||||
| Independent | Matt Grant | 391 | 1.89% | – | ||||
| Total | 20,725 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 91 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 34,928 | 59.60% | 4.38% | |||||
| Wildrose hold | Swing | -10.98% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "54 - Chestermere-Rocky View Official Results 2015 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Member Information". Archived from the original on 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
- ^ a b Joannou, Ashley (2022-06-08). "'Defeat the machines': Former cabinet minister Leela Aheer launches campaign for UCP leadership". The Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
- ^ "I feel at home, says Telugu-origin Canada minister on Vizag visit". The Times of India. 2020-01-02. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ^ "Getting to Know Leela Aheer, WIldrose candidate | the Chestermere Anchor". Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
- ^ "Q&A with Leela Aheer". Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
- ^ "Chestermere-Rockyview: Wildrose candidate wins in controversy-ridden riding". Gwendolyn Richards. Calgary Herald. 2015-05-06. Archived from the original on 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
- ^ a b "Aheer named deputy leader for UCP". Rocky View Weekly. Archived from the original on 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ "Kenney Appoints Leadership Team To Stand Up For Albertans |". UCP Caucus. Archived from the original on 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2017-10-30.
- ^ "'They need to be safe': Alberta Conservatives clash on motion outing children who join after-school gay-straight alliances". National Post. 2018-05-06. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
- ^ "Alberta introduces 'Clare's Law' bill that will allow access to partner's criminal records". Global News. Archived from the original on 2020-06-23. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ a b "Breaking barriers for women in business". www.mtroyal.ca. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "Alberta premier shuffles cabinet, drops critic Leela Aheer, carves up her ministry". Todayville. The Canadian Press. 2021-07-08. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
- ^ "WATCH - UCP candidate Leela Aheer helps rodeo participant charged by bull". 2 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ Michelle Bellefontaine (29 July 2022). "MLA Leela Aheer cleared of alleged infraction of political donation law". CBC. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Former cabinet minister Leela Aheer not seeking re-election with UCP". calgaryherald. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ Rodriguez, Michael (Mar 29, 2023). "Leela Aheer eyeing federal Conservative nomination bid". Calgary Herald.