Brampton West

Two-term MPP Amarjot Sandhu entered the 2025 election as a familiar figure in Brampton West, having held the seat since 2018. During the 2022–2025 term, Sandhu continued serving as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, a role he had held since 2021. His critics maintained that he had been insufficiently vocal in advocating for Brampton’s healthcare and transit needs at Queen’s Park, while supporters pointed to his work on broadband infrastructure projects across Ontario.

The Liberal Party mounted its strongest challenge in the riding by nominating Andrew Kania, a former federal Member of Parliament for Brampton West who brought significant name recognition and political experience. The riding covers Brampton’s western neighbourhoods and recorded among the lowest voter turnout in the city in 2022.

Candidates

Amarjot Sandhu (Progressive Conservative) — Sandhu arrived in Canada in 2008 as an international student from Punjab, India, attending George Brown College and later working as a computer network analyst and realtor. He was the first international student elected to the Ontario legislature. During the 2022–2025 term, he served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, announcing broadband expansion projects across the province on behalf of the ministry.

Andrew Kania (Liberal) — Kania is a lawyer and former Member of Parliament who represented the federal riding of Brampton West from 2008 to 2011. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto and a Master of Laws from the University of Leicester in England. He served as Senior Counsel at Kania Lawyers and previously held roles including House of Commons Chair of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations.

Samuel Sarjeant (NDP) — Sarjeant was the NDP candidate in the riding, competing as one of six candidates on the ballot.

Minor candidates included Ethan Russell (Green Party), David Pardy (New Blue Party), and Pushpek Sidhu (Independent).

Local Issues

The healthcare deficit in Brampton remained the most pressing concern for residents of Brampton West. The city’s hospital bed-to-population ratio sat well below the provincial average throughout the 2022–2025 term. While the Peel Memorial Phase 2 project moved through procurement stages, the lack of visible construction progress frustrated residents who faced long waits at overcrowded emergency departments. Opposition candidates argued that Sandhu, as Parliamentary Assistant to the Infrastructure Minister, bore some responsibility for the slow pace of capital health projects in the city.

Highway 413 continued to divide opinion. The PC government advanced the project by exempting it from environmental assessment requirements, but environmental advocates warned the route would damage Greenbelt land and agricultural areas on Brampton’s western boundary. Transit advocates argued the funds should instead go to expanding GO Transit and municipal bus service, which many Brampton West residents relied on for daily commutes to Toronto.

Civic engagement was itself an issue in the riding. Brampton West recorded one of the city’s lowest turnout rates in the 2022 election, raising questions about the effectiveness of local representation and the connection between residents and their provincial government. The presence of a former federal MP on the Liberal ticket and the ongoing dissatisfaction with local services suggested the 2025 race could test whether a more competitive contest would bring voters back to the polls.