Kamal Khera

Last updated

The Honourable
Kamal Khera
PC MP
The Honorable Minister Kamal Khera.jpg
Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
Assumed office
July 26, 2023

Kamalpreet Khera PC MP (born February 4, 1989) is a Canadian politician who has been minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities since July 26, 2023. [2] A member of the Liberal Party, Khera has represented the riding of Brampton West in the House of Commons since the 2015 federal election. She also served as the minister of seniors from October 26, 2021 to July 2023.

Contents

Education and Early Career

Prior to entering politics, Khera attended York University where she earned an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She went on to work as a registered nurse in the palliative and oncology units at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. [2]

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, she volunteered at a long-term care facility in her hometown of Brampton and administered vaccines in her community. [2] [3]

Federal Politics

Khera was nominated as the Liberal candidate in Brampton West in December 2014, and won the seat in the federal election in the following October. [4] [5] [6] When first elected in 2015, Khera was the youngest Liberal MP in the House, and the second-youngest overall behind Pierre-Luc Dusseault of the New Democratic Party (NDP) . [7] She was re-elected in the 2019 federal election, [8] and in 2021. [9] Khera is one of the youngest women ever to be elected to Parliament.

Parliamentary Secretary

On December 2, 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Khera as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of health, then as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of national revenue on January 18, 2017. Beginning August 31, 2018, Khera served as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of international development. [10]

Khera stepped down from her role as parliamentary secretary on January 3, 2021, after having travelled to the United States in December to attend a memorial service for her uncle, while the federal government was discouraging international travel. [3]

On September 20, 2021, Khera was re-elected as the member of Parliament for Brampton West. [11]

Minister of Seniors

On October 26, 2021, Khera was joined cabinet as the minister of seniors. [12] She is amongst the youngest members of the cabinet and the Privy Council of Canada. [13]

Her mandate was marked by the government’s restoration of the age of eligibility for retirement back to 65, an increase of the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), which has helped over 900,000 seniors, and has lifted 45,000 of them out of poverty, the enhancement of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and a 10 per cent increase of Old Age Security (OAS) pensions for seniors over 75. [14]

Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Persons with Disabilities

On July 26, 2023, Khera was appointed to the position of minister of diversity, inclusion, and persons with disabilities following a cabinet shuffle in the summer of 2023. [15] She succeeds Ahmed Hussen, who was minister of houseing and diversity and inclusion, and Carla Qualthrough, who was minister of persons with disabilities. [16]

On June 8, 2024, Khera announced the launch of the federal government's new Anti-Racism Strategy, a $110.4 million investment aimed at driving action in employment, justice and law enforcement, housing, healthcare and immigration systems. [17]

Khera has also rolled out the Canadian Disability Benefit in the 2024 Canadian federal budget, providing an investment of $6.1 billion to help uplift thousands of working-age persons with disabilities and their families. As proposed, the benefit is estimated to increase the financial well-being of over 600,000 low-income persons with disabilities. [18]

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election : Brampton West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Kamal Khera 25,78055.3+1.8$107,717.96
Conservative Jermaine Chambers13,18628.3+4.4$33,421.74
New Democratic Gurprit Gill6,09713.1-5.3$0.00
People's Rahul Samuel Zia1,2182.6+1.7$0.00
Independent Sivakumar Ramasamy3280.7N/A$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit46,60999.2–$115,623.57
Total rejected ballots3900.8
Turnout46,99954.3
Eligible voters86,557
Liberal hold Swing -1.3
Source: Elections Canada [19]
2019 Canadian federal election : Brampton West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Kamal Khera 28,74353.5-2.39$109,585.64
Conservative Murarilal Thapliyal12,82423.9-6.21$110,270.48
New Democratic Navjit Kaur9,85518.4+5.96$74,444.87
Green Jane Davidson1,2712.4+0.85$683.08
People's Roger Sampson5050.9$3,955.00
Christian Heritage Paul Tannahill3190.6none listed
Communist Harinderpal Hundal970.2$476.56
Canada's Fourth FrontAnjum Malik690.1$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit53,683100.0
Total rejected ballots735
Turnout54,41862.6
Eligible voters86,912
Liberal hold Swing +1.91
Source: Elections Canada [20] [21]
2015 Canadian federal election : Brampton West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Kamal Khera 24,25655.89+19.81$186,667.41
Conservative Ninder Thind13,06830.11-11.90$179,464.92
New Democratic Adaoma Patterson5,40012.44-7.18$29,137.39
Green Karthika Gobinath6741.55-0.02$702.19
Total valid votes/expense limit43,398100.00 $203,918.62
Total rejected ballots2450.56–
Turnout43,64361.70–
Eligible voters70,734
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +15.86
Source: Elections Canada [22] [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navdeep Bains</span> Canadian politician (born 1977)

Navdeep Singh Bains is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, he represented the riding of Mississauga—Malton in the House of Commons from 2015 to 2021. He previously represented the riding of Mississauga—Brampton South from 2004 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Housefather</span> Canadian politician

Anthony Housefather is a Canadian Member of Parliament representing the riding of Mount Royal on the island of Montreal. From 2015 to 2019, Housefather served as the Chair of the Justice and Human Rights Committee. Following the 2019 election, he was named the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour. Following the 2021 federal election, Housefather was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, a position he held until fall 2023. In 2024, he became Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parm Gill</span> Canadian politician (born 1974)

Parm Gill is a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Milton in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario between 2018 and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Casey (Canadian politician)</span> Canadian politician

Sean J. Casey is a Canadian politician from Prince Edward Island, Canada. Casey was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 federal election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Charlottetown. Casey previously served as the president of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Costas Menegakis</span> Canadian politician

Costas Menegakis is a businessman, an entrepreneur and a former Canadian politician, who represented the federal electoral district of Richmond Hill from 2011 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gudie Hutchings</span> Canadian politician (born 1959)

Gudrid Ida "Gudie" Hutchings is a Canadian politician serves as Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. A member of the Liberal Party, Hutchings has represented Long Range Mountains in the House of Commons since the 2015 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginette Petitpas Taylor</span> Canadian politician

Marie Ginette Petitpas Taylor is a Canadian politician who has been representing the riding of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe in the House of Commons of Canada since the 2015 federal election. She is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and a former Minister of Health, and is a member of the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association as well as the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Vandenbeld</span> Canadian politician

Anita M. Vandenbeld is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean for the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 Canadian federal election. She was re-elected in the same riding in 2019, and re-elected in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Drouin</span> Canadian Liberal politician (born 1983)

Francis Drouin is a Canadian Liberal politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheryl Hardcastle</span> Canadian politician

Cheryl Hardcastle is a Canadian politician and former member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada for the federal electoral district of Windsor—Tecumseh, first elected during the 2015 Canadian federal election. She is a member of the New Democratic Party. During the 42nd Canadian Parliament, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair appointed Hardcastle to be the party's critic for Sports and Persons with Disabilities. After Mulcair was replaced Jagmeet Singh, he added "International Human Rights" to her critic duties, where she now sits as Vice-Chair to the Subcommittee for International Human Rights. She lost her re-election bid in the 2019 Canadian federal election, having come second in what was considered a surprise upset to the Liberal candidate Irek Kusmierczyk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Nater</span> Canadian politician

John Nater is a Canadian politician. He is currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Perth Wellington in the House of Commons of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Beech</span> Canadian politician (born 1981)

Terry J. Beech is a Canadian businessman and politician who has served as Member of Parliament for the federal electoral district of Burnaby North—Seymour in the House of Commons of Canada since 2015. Beech serves as minister for the newly created portfolio of citizen services since 2023. Prior, he served as Parliamentary Secretary to a number of Liberal cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonia Sidhu</span> Canadian politician

Satinderpal "Sonia" Sidhu is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal electoral district of Brampton South during the 2015 Canadian federal election.

Ruby Sahota is a Canadian Liberal politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal riding Brampton North during the 2015 Canadian federal election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iqra Khalid</span> Canadian politician (born 1985)

Iqra Khalid is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election.

Terry Sheehan is a Canadian politician presently serves as the Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie in the House of Commons of Canada, first elected in the 2015 federal election. He was re-elected in the 2019 federal election. Prior to his parliamentary service, Sheehan served on the Sault Ste. Marie City Council from 2003 to 2015, representing Ward 2, after two terms as a Trustee on the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Dzerowicz</span> Canadian Liberal politician

Juliana Roma "Julie" Dzerowicz is a Canadian politician. A member of the Liberal Party, she has represented the Toronto riding of Davenport in the House of Commons of Canada since her initial election in 2015, and was reelected in 2019 and in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuella Lambropoulos</span> Canadian politician (born 1990)

Emmanuella Lambropoulos is a Canadian politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Saint-Laurent since 2017. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, she was elected to the House of Commons in a by-election, succeeding Stéphane Dion.

Sameer Zuberi is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the federal riding of Pierrefonds—Dollard in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election, sitting as a member of the Liberal Party. He is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, and he serves on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International development.

Paul Chin-Yue Chiang is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Markham—Unionville in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2021 Canadian federal election. He is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion.

References

  1. ↑ "David Akin 🇨🇦 on Twitter: "Happy 30th birthday to Brampton West MP @KamalKheraLib 1"". twitter.com. Twitter. February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Honourable Kamal Khera". Prime Minister of Canada. 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  3. 1 2 DeClerq, Katherine (3 January 2021). "Brampton West MP to step aside from parliamentary role after travelling to U.S. for memorial". CTV News. Toronto ON. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Liberals find candidate in Brampton West for next federal election". Brampton Guardian. 2014-12-10. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  5. ↑ Guardian, Peter Criscione Brampton (2015-10-20). "BRAMPTON WEST: Liberal Kamal Khera wins Brampton West". Brampton Guardian. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  6. ↑ "19 Indian-Canadians elected to Canadian parliament". The Economic Times. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 November 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  7. ↑ John Paul Tasker, Meet the Class of 2015: Notable Rookies headed to Parliament Hill, CBC.ca, October 22, 2015.
  8. ↑ Gamrot, Sabrina (21 October 2019). "Brampton West re-elects Liberal Kamal Khera". The Brampton Guardian. Brampton ON: Metroland Media Group. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "Canada election results: Brampton West | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  10. ↑ https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/kamal-khera(88705)/roles
  11. ↑ "Canada election results: Brampton West | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  12. ↑ https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/kamal-khera(88705)/roles
  13. ↑ Maloney, Ryan (November 13, 2021). "Kamal Khera, Trudeau's youngest minister, says she'll draw on her pandemic experiences in cabinet". CBC News.
  14. ↑ "Backgrounder: Government of Canada financial supports for seniors". www.canada.ca. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  15. ↑ https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/kamal-khera(88705)/roles
  16. ↑ "The Honourable Kamal Khera". Prime Minister of Canada. 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  17. ↑ Heritage, Canadian (2024-06-08). "The Government of Canada launches Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024–2028". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  18. ↑ Canada, Employment and Social Development (2023-10-17). "Overview of the Canada Disability Benefit". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  19. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada . Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  20. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  22. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Brampton West, 30 September 2015
  23. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.