The Cabinet of Canada has had 21 visible minorities appointed members. A visible minority is defined as "persons, other than Aboriginal people, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour".[1]
Pierre De Bané became the first Visible Minority and Arab Canadian to hold a Cabinet position when he was appointed Minister of Supply and Services in 1978 by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In 1979, Minister of Labour Lincoln Alexander became the first African Canadian appointed to the Cabinet. Hedy Fry became the first Visible Minority female cabinet member when she was appointed Minister for Status of Women and Multiculturalism in 1996. Raymond Chan became the first Chinese Canadian to hold a Cabinet Position when he was appointed Asia-Pacific Gateway Minister in 1993, while Herb Dhaliwal was the first South Asian Canadian minister, appointed Revenue Minister in 1997.
The Department of Multiculturalism has had the most Visible Minority Cabinet ministers, with four. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed a total of 15 ministers of Visible Minorities to cabinet, 10 ministers of Visible Minorities are serving in cabinet as of 2023.
| Image | Minister | Took office | Left office | Duration | Mandates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omar Alghabra MP for Mississauga Centre | 2 years, 195 days | Minister of Transport (2021–2023) | Alghabra was born in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia to a Syrian family. His father, an architect, moved their family to Saudi Arabia in 1968.[2] He moved to Toronto when he was 19 years old to attend school and completed his Bachelor of Engineering at Ryerson University.[3] | ||||
| Anita Anand MP for Oakville | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of Public Services and Procurement (2019–2021) Minister of National Defence (2021–2023) President of the Treasury Board (2023–present) | Anand was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Her parents were both physicians; her mother Saroj D. Ram was an anesthesiologist, and her father S.V. (Andy) Anand. Her father was from Tamil Nadu and her mother was from Punjab. Her family relocated to Ontario in 1985. | |||
MP for Scarborough—Rouge Park | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations (2023–present) | Anandasangaree is a Sri Lankan Tamil Canadian. Born in Sri Lanka, his parents separated in 1980 and he and his mother moved to Ireland. Though they attempted to return to Sri Lanka in 1983, the outbreak of the Black July anti-Tamil riots changed their plans and Anandasangaree and his mother travelled to Canada as refugees from Sri Lanka in August 1983. His father is Sri Lankan Tamil politician V. Anandasangaree; Anandasangaree is estranged from his father and has only met him twice since 1983.[4] | |||
MP for Mississauga—Malton | 5 years, 69 days | Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (2015–2021) | Bains was born in Toronto in 1977 to Indian parents. | ||||
MP for Waterloo | 5 years, 366 days | Minister of Small Business and Tourism (2015–2018) Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (2016–2019) Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth (2019–2021) | Chagger's parents emigrated to Waterloo, Ontario from India in the 1970s. She is the first female Leader of Government in the House of Commons. | ||||
MP for York South—Weston | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (2017–2019) Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (2019–2021) Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion (2021–2023) Minister of International Development (2023–present) | Hussen was born in Somalia. He immigrated to Canada as a refugee in 1993, settling in Toronto. Although not the first black Cabinet minister, Hussen is the first to be of immediate African descent. | |||
MP for Toronto Centre | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth (2021–present) | Ien is a Black Canadian[5] of Trinidadian descent. Ien was born in St. James Town and raised in Toronto. | |||
MP for Brampton West | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of Seniors (2021–2023) Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities (2023–present) | Khera is a first-generation Canadian who immigrated to Canada from Delhi, India, at a very young age.[6] | |||
MP for Hochelaga | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec (2023–present) | Martinez Ferrada is Chilean Canadian and was born in Santiago, Chile in 1972. Her family came to Canada in 1980 after fleeing Chile, then controlled by dictator Augusto Pinochet. | |||
MP for Peterborough—Kawartha | 5 years, 356 days | Minister of Democratic Institutions (2015–2017) Minister of Status of Women (2017–2018) Minister of International Development (2019) Minister for Women and Gender Equality (2019–2021) Minister of Rural Economic Development (2019–2021) | Monsef is of Afghan descent and was born in 1985 in a hospital in Iran;[7] as her parents were Afghan refugees rather than Iranian citizens, Monsef has never held Iranian citizenship and has always been an Afghan citizen.[8] She immigrated to Canada with her family as a refugee in 1996. | ||||
MP for Markham—Thornhill | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development (2018–2023) Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, and Economic Development (2023–present) | Ng was born in Hong Kong. In the 1970s, Ng's family immigrated to Toronto, Canada from Hong Kong. | |||
MP for Vancouver South | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of National Defence (2015–2021) Minister of International Development (2021–2023) President of the King's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Emergency Preparedness, and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (2023–present) | Harjit Singh Sajjan was born in Bombeli, in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, India. He along with his mother and older sister immigrated to Canada in 1976 when he was five years old to rejoin their father, who had left for British Columbia two years prior to establish entrepreneurial infrastructure and produce companies in the industrial and agriculture sectors, respectively. | |||
MP for Edmonton Mill Woods | 4 years, 16 days | Minister of Infrastructure and Communities (2015–2018) Minister of Natural Resources (2018–2019) | Sohi was born in 1964 in the Banbhaura, Sangrur district in the Indian state of Punjab. Sponsored by an elder brother, he emigrated to Edmonton in 1981. | ||||
MP for Mississauga—Streetsville | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of Small Business (2023–present) | Valdez is the first Filipino Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons and the first to sit in cabinet. | |||
MP for Parkdale—High Park | Incumbent | Incumbent | Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (2023–present) | Virani is an Ismaili Muslim who was born in Kampala, Uganda in 1971, from a family with roots in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. His family came to Canada as refugees in 1972, after the expulsion of the Indian minority in Uganda by then-president Idi Amin. | |||
| Image | Minister | Took office | Left office | Duration | Mandates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MP for Wellington-Halton Hills | 0 years, 294 days | Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2006) Minister of State (Sport) (2006) | Michael Chong was born in rural Ontario to a Chinese father and Dutch mother. | ||||
MP for Parry Sound-Muskoka | 9 years, 271 days | Minister of Health (2006–2008) Minister of Industry (2008–2011) President of the Treasury Board (2011-2015) | Tony Clement was born in England and is of mixed Cypriot and Syrian descent.[9] | ||||
MP for Bramalea-Gore-Malton | 4 years, 157 days | Minister of State (Sport) (2011–2015) | Gosal is of Indian descent and emigrated to Canada in 1981. | ||||
MP for Durham | 6 years, 148 days | Minister of Canadian Heritage (2006–2007) Minister of State (Status of Women) (2006–2007) Minister for International Cooperation (2007–2012) | Bev Oda was born to Japanese parents in Thunder Bay. Bev Oda is the first Japanese Canadian woman to serve in cabinet. | ||||
MP for Edmonton-Sherwood Park | 4 years, 157 days | Minister for Democratic Reform (2011–2013) Minister for Multiculturalism (2013–2015) | Tim Uppal is a Sikh born in New Westminster to Indian immigrant parents.[10] | ||||
MP for Richmond | 4 years, 157 days | Minister for Seniors (2011–2015) | Alice Wong is a Chinese Canadian who immigrated to Canada in 1980. Alice Wong is the first Chinese Canadian woman to serve in cabinet.[11] | ||||
| Image | Minister | Took office | Left office | Duration | Mandates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore | 0 years, 219 days | Minister for Multiculturalism (2003–2004) Minister of State (Status of Women) (2003–2004) | First elected in 1993, she became the first black woman elected to Canadian Parliament. She was born in Grenada and immigrated to Canada in her youth.[12] | ||||
MP for Richmond | 1 year, 199 days | Minister for Multiculturalism (2004–2006) | Chan was the first Chinese-Canadian to serve in Cabinet. He also served in Jean Chrétien's cabinet.[13] | ||||
MP for Vancouver South | 1 year, 199 days | Minister of Health (2004–2006) | Dosanjh was born in India and emigrated to Canada when he was 17. He served as Premier of British Columbia from 2000–2001 and was elected as an MP in 2004.[14] | ||||
MP for Winnipeg North | 0 years, 219 days | Minister of Western Economic Diversification (2003–2004) Minister for Science & Technology (2003–2004) | Pagtakhan is a Filipino Canadian. He also served in Jean Chrétien's cabinet.[15] | ||||
| Image | Minister | Took office | Left office | Duration | Mandates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore | 1 year, 200 days | Minister for Multiculturalism (2002–2003) Minister of State (Status of Women) (2002–2003) | First elected in 1993, she became the first black woman elected to Canadian Parliament. She was born in Grenada and immigrated to Canada in her youth. She also served in Paul Martin's cabinet. | ||||
MP for Richmond | 7 year, 65 days | Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway (1993–2001) | Chan was the first Chinese-Canadian to serve in Cabinet. He also served in Paul Martin's cabinet. | ||||
MP for Vancouver-Burnaby | 6 years, 184 days | Minister of National Revenue (1997–1999) Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (1999–2002) Minister of Natural Resources (2002–2003) | Raised in Canada since the age of six, Dhaliwal was Canada's first Indo-Canadian cabinet minister.[16] | ||||
MP for Vancouver Centre | 6 years, 2 days | Minister for Multiculturalism (1996–2002) Minister of State (Status of Women) (1996–2002) | First elected in 1993, Fry is of Trinidadian ancestry.[17] | ||||
MP for Winnipeg North | 2 years, 338 days | Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway (2001–2002) Minister for Science & Technology (2002–2003) Minister of Veterans Affairs (2002–2003) | Pagtakhan is a Filipino Canadian. He also served in Paul Martin's cabinet. | ||||