Natalia Kusendova-Bashta Explained

Natalia Kusendova-Bashta
Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Honorific-Suffix:MPP
Parliament1:Ontario Provincial
Term Start1:June 7, 2018
Predecessor1:First Member
Riding1:Mississauga Centre
Party:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Residence:Mississauga, Ontario
Occupation:Nurse
Office:Minister of Long-Term Care
Term Start:June 6, 2024
Preceded:Stan Cho

Natalia Kusendova-Bashta is a Canadian politician who serves as the Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care and has served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2018. She represents the riding of Mississauga Centre as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Before entering politics, Kusendova-Bashta worked as a nurse.

Background

Kusendova-Bashta holds Bachelor of Science degrees in human and molecular biology from the University of Toronto and in nursing from Nipissing University. In addition, she speaks five languages: English, Polish, French, Czech and Slovak.[1] Kusendova-Bashta is of Slovak and Polish descent.

Political career

Kusendova-Bashta was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 Ontario election.[2]

In March 2020, while the province was under a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Kusendova-Bashta started taking 12-hour shifts three days per week in the emergency department at Etobicoke General Hospital.[3] In September 2020, Kusendova-Bashta's bill to recognize the Franco-Ontarian flag as an emblem of the province of Ontario was passed by the Ontario legislature and into law.[4]

Kusendova-Bashta was re-elected in the 2022 provincial election.[5] On June 6, 2024, she was elevated to the executive council during a cabinet shuffle in which she was appointed Minister of Long-Term Care by Premier Doug Ford.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About . . . Mississauga Centre PC Riding Association . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240122010556/https://mississaugacentre.ontariopc.ca/about/ . January 22, 2024 . June 7, 2024 .
  2. News: PCs elected in Mississauga Centre and Mississauga—Erin Mills. Noor. Javed. June 7, 2018. Toronto Star.
  3. Web site: Ontario MPP returns to health-care front lines to assist COVID-19 pandemic response. Kirthana. Sasitharan. cbc.ca. live. March 30, 2020. https://archive.today/20200330024149/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mississauga-mpp-returns-health-care-front-lines-nurse-1.5514156. March 30, 2020.
  4. News: Bill 182, Franco-Ontarian Emblem Amendment Act, 2020. September 24, 2020. Government of Ontario.
  5. News: Cornwell . Steve . June 2, 2022 . PC’s Natalia Kusendova re-elected in Mississauga Centre . Mississauga.com . Mississauga, Ontario . June 7, 2024.
  6. News: Jones . Allison . Casey . Liam . June 6, 2024 . Ontario Premier Doug Ford shuffles cabinet . live . . . Toronto, Ontario . https://web.archive.org/web/20240607004859/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-premier-doug-ford-shuffles-cabinet-1.7227377 . June 7, 2024 . June 7, 2024.