visible minorities. Poverty among racialized groups in a developed country like Canada, is linked to lower educational achievement, poor mental health and general well-being, conflict with the justice system, the need for social services and supports, sub-standard housing and underemployment. Ultimately, poverty means the absence of both economic and political influence, making effective political participation difficult to achieve for members of racialized groups. When I was invited to run for political office, I said “yes” because I saw political office as one of the ways in which I could serve the public good. As we focus at this Forum, on Minorities and Effective Political Participation, I must express caution against the ease with which the focus that we could and should be bringing as voices for those who typically have no voice, can be forgotten if we allow ourselves to be co-opted or submerged by the dominant culture in which we find ourselves. But while I always remembered that there were voices, Minority voices, that I needed to bring to the table, I also knew I had been elected by a broader society. I believed it was my responsibility to 4