OTTAWA - New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh has been sworn in as a member of Parliament.
The NDP says Singh becomes the first racialized party leader to sit in the House of Commons.
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He won a byelection in the British Columbia riding of Burnaby South in February, taking roughly 39 per cent of the vote.
The win means Singh can finally go toe-to-toe in the House of Commons with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - something he hasn't been able to do since taking over the party reins from Tom Mulcair in October 2017.
In a statement, Singh says he will use his new position to pressure the Liberal government to take action on affordable housing and bringing down prescription drug costs.
He says as a kid, he never would have imagined being in this position.
“I would've never imagined that someone who looks like me could ever run to be prime minister,” Singh said in a statement issued by the party on Sunday.
Singh said he is committed to building on late NDP leader Jack Layton's message of love, hope and optimism with courage.
