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Bardish Chagger
Bardish Chagger (born April 6, 1980) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Waterloo since 2015. A member of the Liberal Party, Chagger was the minister of small business and tourism from 2015 to 2018, Government House Leader from 2016 to 2019, and the minister of diversity, inclusion and youth from 2019 to 2021. Chagger is the first woman to serve as Government House Leader. Chagger is known for her role in the WE Charity scandal, which ultimately led to her removal from cabinet.
In the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada Leadership, Chagger declined to endorse any candidate in the race, despite almost 50 of her colleagues in the Ontario caucus declaring their preference in the race. After Mark Carney won the leadership and became Canada's next Prime Minister, Carney declined to return Chagger to Cabinet, extending her four-year absence from a Ministerial position.
Chagger's parents immigrated to Waterloo from Punjab, India in the 1970s. Her family is Sikh. Her father, Gurminder "Gogi" Chagger, was active in the Liberal Party and an admirer of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Chagger's first involvement in politics came in the 1993 federal election as a 13-year-old volunteer for Andrew Telegdi's successful campaign in Waterloo.
She attended the University of Waterloo, with aspirations to become a nurse, but she subsequently became an executive assistant to Telegdi, who represented Waterloo in the House of Commons for the Liberals from 1993 to 2008.
Chagger graduated from the University of Waterloo with a bachelor of science degree. After Telegedi's defeat in 2008, Chagger became a director of special events for the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre.
Chagger volunteered for Justin Trudeau's 2013 party leadership bid, and subsequently became the Liberal Party's candidate in the newly reconstituted Waterloo riding. She took 49.7% of the vote and defeated two-term Conservative incumbent Peter Braid, who had earlier ousted her former employer Andrew Telegdi.
On November 4, 2015, Chagger was sworn in as Minister of Small Business and Tourism.
As a result of the July 18, 2018 cabinet shuffle, Chagger's responsibilities for Small Business were given to Mary Ng, and Mélanie Joly took on the responsibilities of Tourism. She was later appointed to the role of Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, which she held until 2021.
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Bardish Chagger
Bardish Chagger (born April 6, 1980) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Waterloo since 2015. A member of the Liberal Party, Chagger was the minister of small business and tourism from 2015 to 2018, Government House Leader from 2016 to 2019, and the minister of diversity, inclusion and youth from 2019 to 2021. Chagger is the first woman to serve as Government House Leader. Chagger is known for her role in the WE Charity scandal, which ultimately led to her removal from cabinet.
In the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada Leadership, Chagger declined to endorse any candidate in the race, despite almost 50 of her colleagues in the Ontario caucus declaring their preference in the race. After Mark Carney won the leadership and became Canada's next Prime Minister, Carney declined to return Chagger to Cabinet, extending her four-year absence from a Ministerial position.
Chagger's parents immigrated to Waterloo from Punjab, India in the 1970s. Her family is Sikh. Her father, Gurminder "Gogi" Chagger, was active in the Liberal Party and an admirer of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Chagger's first involvement in politics came in the 1993 federal election as a 13-year-old volunteer for Andrew Telegdi's successful campaign in Waterloo.
She attended the University of Waterloo, with aspirations to become a nurse, but she subsequently became an executive assistant to Telegdi, who represented Waterloo in the House of Commons for the Liberals from 1993 to 2008.
Chagger graduated from the University of Waterloo with a bachelor of science degree. After Telegedi's defeat in 2008, Chagger became a director of special events for the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre.
Chagger volunteered for Justin Trudeau's 2013 party leadership bid, and subsequently became the Liberal Party's candidate in the newly reconstituted Waterloo riding. She took 49.7% of the vote and defeated two-term Conservative incumbent Peter Braid, who had earlier ousted her former employer Andrew Telegdi.
On November 4, 2015, Chagger was sworn in as Minister of Small Business and Tourism.
As a result of the July 18, 2018 cabinet shuffle, Chagger's responsibilities for Small Business were given to Mary Ng, and Mélanie Joly took on the responsibilities of Tourism. She was later appointed to the role of Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, which she held until 2021.