Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's new cabinet has first Hindu minister

JALANDHAR: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 37-member new cabinet formed on Wednesday includes four Indian Canadians. While Trudeau has retained his earlier three Sikh ministers, he has also inducted first-time MP

Anita Anand

, making her the first

Hindu

woman lawmaker to be elected minister. Harjit Singh Sajjan (49), the most prominent Sikh face of Trudeau government and against whom Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had railed a lot during his last stint, continues to be Canada’s defence minister.



Trudeau had four Sikh/ Punjabi ministers in his previous government, but Amarjeet Sohi who was part of the 2015 Cabinet is not returning this time after his defeat in the election.

Navdeep Singh Bains (42) who represents the Ontario riding of Mississauga-Malton, has been given charge of minister of innovation and science and industry while Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger (39) has been given the inclusion and diversity and youth ministry.

Anita Anand, who is in her early 50s, has been made minister of public services and procurement. Born to Indian-origin parents in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Anand has served as a law professor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, and specializes in corporate governance and shareholder rights. Anand takes on the role of minister of public services and procurement at a time when the government is finalizing a multi-billion dollar purchase of new fighter jets.

Trudeau keeps re-elected ministers

Anand was earlier on the Ontario expert committee on financial planning policy alternatives, which recommended regulatory reforms of the financial planning profession — such as proficiency requirements for practitioners — to protect consumers.

Of the 18 Sikh/Punjabi MPs who won the federal election in Canada this time, 13 were from Liberal party.

Trudeau has inducted nearly all his re-elected ministers from the last government to signal continuity and to reinforce the fact that the government has unfinished business from the last Parliament. Half of ministers in Trudeau’s government are women and after formation of the cabinet he said that he had “strong, diverse and experienced cabinet”.

In the Canadian general election held in October, the Liberal Party bagged 157 seats, the opposition Conservative 121, Bloc Quebecois 32, Indian-origin Canadian Jagmeet Singhled New Democratic Party (NDP) 24, Green Party 3 and one Independent.

To reach the majority of 170 in the 338-seat House of Commons, the Liberals are short of 13 members.

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