Waterloo Member of Parliament (MP) Bardish Chagger lost her position as Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent cabinet shuffle.
Chagger’s replacement is Ahmed Hussen, a Liberal MP from Mississauga, Ont. Hussen has previously served as Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and as Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees.
Chagger was first elected to the position of MP in 2015, the year Trudeau won his first election. In 2019, after she was re-elected, she assumed the position of Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth.
A University of Waterloo graduate, Chagger was initially interested in pursuing a career in nursing. However, over time, her volunteer experience in politics as well as her personal experience as a child of immigrants solidified her interest in the political world and she chose to run.
Before her time in the role of Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, Chagger served as the Minister for Small Business and Tourism.
Trudeau’s new cabinet is 50 per cent female and 50 per cent male, maintaining the prime minister’s commitment to gender parity, which he established following his first election in 2015. Several women hold leading roles, including Toronto MP Chrystia Freeland, who will retain dual roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
According to Trudeau, “Canadians need a strong and diverse cabinet to deliver on their priorities and keep Canada moving forward for everyone. This team will finish the fight against COVID‑19, deliver on $10-a-day child care, help Canadians find a home of their own, tackle the climate crisis, and continue to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Together, we will work tirelessly to build a better future for all Canadians.”
This new cabinet expanded to 39 members, including the prime minister’s office, though only 10 ministers from Trudeau’s previous cabinet kept their positions.
Despite five of the seven ridings in Waterloo Region and Guelph electing Liberal MPs in the most recent election, the area no longer has a seat at the cabinet table.
