Jackson touts strong local connections in bid for provincial Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest
By MATTHEW STEPHENS
With a provincial byelection looming in the near future for the Scarborough Southwest riding, recent political moves have shaken up the Ontario Liberal Party nomination race for candidacy.
“The party made the right decision regarding holding an open nomination. Even though I am the immediate past candidate, I believe that competition is healthy,” said Qadira Jackson, who will be seeking the provincial Liberal nomination in the Scarborough Southwest riding.
Jackson is a lawyer with a background working with children as a social worker in local elementary schools and other settings. She sits on the Parent Council of her children’s school and is a Director at the West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre.
In addition to operating her own law practice, Jackson has sat on many boards, including the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals, the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, the Parish Council at her local church, and served as a Councillor on the regulatory body of Professional Engineers Ontario.
Jackson was the Liberal candidate for Scarborough Southwest in the 2025 provincial election. She came third in that race, trailing behind Addie Daramola of the Progressive Conservative Party and winner Doly Begum of the NDP.
Following political moves from Scarborough Southwest’s Liberal MP Bill Blair and NDP MPP Begum, Beaches-East York Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith announced he would seek the Liberal nomination to run in the provincial byelection to fill Begum’s Scarborough Southwest seat.
Jackson, a Scarborough resident with roots in the community going back 40 years, said the open nomination prior to the byelection will allow local Liberals to make “the best choice” for Scarborough Southwest.
“Scarborough is a community; we share values, hopes and dreams that no outsider/parachuted candidate will truly understand,” said Jackson. “We have different demographics here; we have different values here.”
Jackson said meeting the needs of constituents in Scarborough Southwest requires a balanced perspective on Ontario’s housing needs.
“Before I became a lawyer, I worked as a social worker having experience in child protection, elementary schools, detention centres, homeless shelters, foster homes and group homes. I can identify with almost anyone having been raised in government housing, to now being a professional and owning two businesses,” said Jackson.
“I have lived in the riding as a renter and a homeowner, and personally understand the issues of housing from both perspectives.”
Jackson said that Erskine-Smith, as a non-Scarborough resident, is not as well known in the riding as she is.
“As I mentioned already, the party chose not to appoint Nathaniel for a reason. He is not well known in my riding, which I am noticing while campaigning and knocking doors,” said Jackson. “Playing basketball once a week in a riding as a teen, doesn’t compare to being a parent raising kids here.”
