Beach Mirror

I was caught off guard and shocked to hear the abrupt departure of Dalton McGuinty from the Ontario’s political arena.

Irrespective of your views of the man and which side of the political fence you stand on, the dedication, commitment and sincerity of the man cannot be disputed or denied.

Whatever the hot issues facing his government might be, it is nevertheless a courageous move to see a politician stepping down willingly and honourably.

I come from areas of the world where this is unheard of. A leader becomes so obsessed with power and would do anything in the process to stay on even if the entire country goes up in flames. He was not a leader who is overtaken by arrogance. He always had a genuine and non-partisan smile on his face and down-to-earth attitude. Mr. McGuinty had instilled hope in people like myself who look different and speak with an accent and sometimes feel the heat of hate-mongers who tell me to go back to where I come from. They tend to forget the fact that everyone, except First Nations people, was an immigrant to this great nation of ours.

A true leader is the one who knows when the time is up and when to vacate the scene and give the chance to someone else.

Mr. McGuinty – with his genuine smile – will certainly be missed dearly.

I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and life ambitions. No matter what might have taken place in the alleged mishaps by members of his party including the alleged misconducts, he will still be remembered as one of the noblest politicians whom we have ever been blessed to have.

Abubakar N. Kasim