Djaouida Sellah

Dr.
Djaouida Sellah
MD
Member of Parliament
for Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert
In office
May 2, 2011 – August 4, 2015
Preceded byCarole Lavallée
Succeeded byRiding dissolved
Personal details
BornAlgiers, Algeria
Political partyNew Democratic Party
Residence(s)Longueuil, Quebec
ProfessionPhysician, Lecturer, Citizen Mediator

Djaouida Sellah (Arabic: دجويدا سيلاه) is a Canadian politician. Sellah represented the riding of Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert in the House of Commons from 2011 to 2015. Following her tenure in parliament, she served as president of the New Democratic Party of Quebec in 2018.

Early life and career

Sellah was born in Algiers, Algeria. Her mother was a midwife and her father was killed in the Algerian War of Independence. She was a volunteer doctor for the Red Crescent during the Gulf War in Baghdad. She then went to Kuala Lumpur with her husband who was working as a translator. The two came to Quebec in 1998. Sellah has three children. At the time of her election, she was president of the Association québécoise des médecins diplômés hors Canada et États-Unis, supporting the recognition of qualifications of foreign-trained doctors.[1]

Political career

Federal politics

Sellah entered politics ahead of the 2011 Canadian federal election seeking the NDP nomination for Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher of which she lost to Pierre Nantel.[2] She was then nominated by the party for the riding of Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert and was elected as part of the "Orange Wave" that swept Quebec, defeating three-term Bloc Québécois MP Carole Lavallée.[3]

Sellah was the first Canadian politician elected who was born in Algeria.[4](NDP). In parliament, Sellah served on the Health Committee for the 1st session of the 41st Parliament, and she then served on the Standing Committee of the Status of Woment. She also served as the assistant Health Critic for the NDP from 2012 until 2013.

Sellah ran in the 2015 election in the new Riding of Montarville, but placed third behind Liberal Michel Picard, whom she had defeated in 2011.[5] Sellah was once again the NDP's candidate for Montarville for the 2019 election;[6] she came in third with a reduced percentage. She ran for the NDP again in the 2021 Election, but was unsuccessful.[7]

Party politics

Following the death of Jack Layton, Sellah endorsed Tom Mulcair to be the next leader of the New Democratic Party. Sellah ran for president of the NDP in 2016 to replace Rebecca Blaikie,[8] but ultimately lost to Marit Stiles. In the 2017 NDP leadership election, Sellah supported Charlie Angus.[9]

Provincial politics

Sellah was the president of the New Democratic Party of Quebec during 2018. She was the New Democratic Party of Quebec's candidate in La Pinière for the 2018 Quebec general election.[10]

Electoral record

Federal

2021 Canadian federal election: Montarville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Bloc Québécois Stéphane Bergeron 26,011 45.3 +2.5 $26,513.08
Liberal Marie-Ève Pelchat 19,974 34.8 -0.8 $56,659.78
Conservative Julie Sauvageau 5,460 9.5 +2.5 $4,343.53
New Democratic Djaouida Sellah 4,809 8.4 ±0.0 $596.30
People's Natasha Hynes 1,218 2.1 +1.3 $1,269.78
Total valid votes/Expense limit 57,472 98.2 – $110,040.39
Total rejected ballots 1,033 1.8
Turnout 58,505 74.7
Eligible voters 78,273
Bloc Québécois hold Swing +1.7
Source: Elections Canada[11]
2019 Canadian federal election: Montarville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Bloc Québécois Stéphane Bergeron 25,366 42.8 +14.38 $22,609.89
Liberal Michel Picard 21,061 35.6 +3.06 $55,495.41
New Democratic Djaouida Sellah 4,984 8.4 -16.28 $1,715.58
Conservative Julie Sauvageau 4,138 7.0 -3.85 $11,784.17
Green Jean-Charles Pelland 2,967 5.0 +2.6 $3,869.64
People's Julie Lavallée 501 0.8 – none listed
Rhinoceros Thomas Thibault-Vincent 211 0.4 – $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 59,228 100
Total rejected ballots 742
Turnout 59,970 77.8%
Eligible voters 77,097
Bloc Québécois gain from Liberal Swing +5.66
Source: Elections Canada[12][13]
2015 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Michel Picard 18,848 32.54 +20.03 –
Bloc Québécois Catherine Fournier 16,460 28.42 -0.66 –
New Democratic Djaouida Sellah 14,296 24.68 -19.85 –
Conservative Stéphane Duranleau 6,284 10.85 +1.25 –
Green Olivier Adam 1,388 2.40 -0.05 –
Libertarian Claude Leclair 641 1.11 – –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 57,917 100.00   $207,758.92
Total rejected ballots 881 1.50 –
Turnout 58,798 77.86 –
Eligible voters 75,521
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +19.94
Source: Elections Canada[14][15]
2011 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Djaouida Sellah 24,361 44.6 +31.1 $3,406.84
Bloc Québécois Carole Lavallée 15,384 28.2 -16.8 $83,400.22
Liberal Michel Picard 7,423 13.6 -8.6 $42,960.83
Conservative Nicole Charbonneau Barron 5,887 10.8 -4.6 $19,838.46
Green Germain Denoncourt 1,523 2.8 -1.0 $3,017.79
Total valid votes/Expense limit 54,578 100.0
Total rejected ballots 780 1.4 0.0
Turnout 55,358 67.5 -0.2
Eligible voters 82,023 – –

Provincial

2018 Quebec general election: La Pinière
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gaétan Barrette 15,476 47.07 -11.22
Coalition Avenir Québec Sylvia Baronian 9,480 28.83 +16.25
Québec solidaire Marie Pagès 3,300 10.04 +6.16
Parti Québécois Suzanne Gagnon 2,921 8.88 -15.6
Green Aziza Dini 585 1.78 -0.13
Conservative Anwar El Youbi 435 1.32 +0.66
New Democratic Djaouida Sellah 354 1.08
Independent Patrick Hayes 168 0.51
Independent Fang Hu 161 0.49
Total valid votes 32,880 98.69
Total rejected ballots 435 1.31
Turnout 33,315 61.09
Eligible voters 54,534
Liberal hold Swing -13.735
Source(s)
"Rapport des résultats officiels du scrutin". Élections Québec.

References

  1. ^ Christine Bouthillier (29 April 2011). "Travailler ensemble" [Working together]. Le Journal de Saint Bruno / Saint Basile (in French). Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  2. ^ Elections Canada, "Nomination Contest Database". , 2010.
  3. ^ Election 2011: Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert. The Globe and Mail, May 2, 2011.
  4. ^ [1] Canadian MPs born in Algeria
  5. ^ Frank Rodi, "Djaouida Sellah défaite dans Montarville". Les Versants, October 20, 2015.
  6. ^ Philippe Lanoix-Meunier, "Le NPD fait confiance à Djaouida Sellah dans Montarville". Le Courrier du Sud, September 5, 2019.
  7. ^ "Stéphane Bergeron l'emporte dans Montarville avec une majorité de près de 6 000 voix". La Relève (in Canadian French). 23 September 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  8. ^ Laura Ryckewaert, "Four in race to become next NDP president after disastrous election, ‘I think it’s important we get the right people in this time’". The Hill Times, April 9, 2016.
  9. ^ "Endorsements - Charlie Angus NDP Leadership Campaign". Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  10. ^ Hélène Buzzetti, "La filière fédérale du NPD-Québec". Le Devoir, September 7, 2018.
  11. ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  12. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  14. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Montarville, 30 September 2015
  15. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates