Newly crowned Mrs. Universe to Canadians: Don’t vote for Harper again

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CANADA: THE newly crowned Mrs. Universe, Canadian Ashley Burnham, has kicked against the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper.

Ashley Burnham, nee Callingbull, urged Canadians – who are First Nations – not to vote for Harper in the October 19, 2015 election.

Harper, the candidate of the Conservatives Party is contesting to retain his seat against New Democratic Party leader, Tom Mulcair and Liberal Party leader, Justin Trudeau in the 42^nd election to vote members of the House of Commons into the 42^nd Parliament in the history of Canada.

Harper is one of the longest serving PMs of the 22 ex-leaders and he is contesting for the third time in the October poll.

“I urge all First Nations people in Canada to vote in this upcoming election,” the 25-year-old Burnham, the First Nations woman and the first Canadian to win Mrs. Universe beauty pageant last Saturday, said.

The call for rejection of Harper, she said, was based on the PM’s handling of the missing and murdered aboriginal women.

The Mrs. Universe emphasised that she wasn’t satisfied with how Harper has been treating the issue.

She added: “We are in desperate need of a new PM. Fight for your rights.”

The Cree woman, who grew up in the Maskwacis and Enoch in Alberta reserves, said she wasn’t shaken being political in her views, particularly few days after she put her name in world reckoning.

“Really? Burnham wondered on her Facebook post. “People think I’m too political for my first day as Mrs Universe. Did you really think I was going to just sit there and look pretty?”

The graduate of Television Programme from Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton rejected the insinuation of her being political.

She said: “Definitely not. I have a title, a platform and a voice to make change and bring awareness to First Nations issues here in Canada.

“I’m getting all this (sic) media attention and I’m going to use it to the best of my ability. I’m not your typical beauty queen. Look out . . . I have a voice for change and I’m going to use it!”

The actress, motivational and model speaker also tackled Harper while speaking on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), saying: “Other countries need to know what’s going on in ours.”

“It’s so crucial that we vote a new prime minister in, because we need a new prime minister,” Burnham said. “I believe we need to fight for our rights and we need to vote.”

“This government is very controlling of our people and soon enough our rights might be taken away,” she said.

On Saturday while accepting her crown, Burnham, who won the beauty pageant which began in 2007 and it is basically for married contestants, said she was extremely delighted to achieve the world feat for not only First Nations, but Canada.

“I’m really overwhelmed right now,” Burnham, a trained dancer who came into national focus when she contested for Miss Canada Beauty Pageant in 2010, joyfully said.

“My phone is blowing up. Everything is blowing up. I love it,” the professional actress, who had participated in many beauty pageants – as Miss – before now, gleefully said.

The highly elated new champion expressed joy in winning the contest and the support she got from the First Nations community, as it had shattered the stereotypes against her people in Canada, saying that she’s been on the buzz of racist comments in the past while contesting.

“A lot of First Nations people are supporting me because I am the first First Nations woman to win, but they’re also supporting the pageant because it doesn’t judge you on your looks,” the second runner up in the 2010 Pageant Miss Universe Canada said.

The professional actress, who claimed to be a survivor of physical and sexual abuse, said of herself: “I was picking bottles for food. I would have never thought I’m going to be Mrs. Universe someday.”

The new Mrs. Universe added: “Growing up and dealing with that, I thought this is a perfect platform to share my story … to be a success story for them.”