SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Bardish Chagger is the new government House Leader in Ottawa.
The Indo-Canadian Sikh who is a member of parliament from Waterloo was named Minister of Small Business and Tourism after being elected last October. She was sworn in as House Leader at Rideau Hall on Friday.
She is the first woman, and the first of South Asian heritage, to hold the position in Canadian history. Born and raised in the Waterloo region, Chagger attended the University of Waterloo where she was also president of the school’s Young Liberals organization. After graduating, she worked as an assistant to former Kitchener-Waterloo MP Andrew Telegdi for four years before becoming a community organizer in 2009.
Officially, she began her political career during Canada’s 1993 election as a volunteer. Then, she was just 13 years old. She is now 36.
“This is a tremendous opportunity. I have been involved in the political process for basically my whole life,” Ms. Chagger told reporters on Parliament Hill after her swearing-in On Friday. “I know what democracy should look like. Democracy should be engaging Canadians. That is the leadership of our prime minister and that’s why the whole of government approach will work for Canada,” she added.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his “confidence in minister Chagger as a worthy successor.”
She will make her debut on the new job on September 19, 2016, when Parliament gets back to work in Ottawa, following the summer recess.
