After the appointment of several Sikhs to the Canadian Cabinet two Canadian Sikhs made Parlimentary Secretaries in Canada. Kamal Khera selected as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health by Justin Trudeau Canada’s New PM & Anju Dhillon has been selected as the Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women.
Anju Dhillon
Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women
Anju was born and raised in the riding of Dorval–Lachine–LaSalle, where she worked as a lawyer and currently resides. She was the first Canadian Sikh to practise law in Quebec courts. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Concordia University and an Honours Bachelor of Law from Université de Montréal.
Concerned about the welfare of others, she was a caregiver for four years. Anju also provided pro bono advice to people in need and has volunteered at the Old Brewery Mission, a homeless shelter in Montréal. In addition, Anju has been actively involved for years in the Sikh community, mentoring youth.
Kamal Khera
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
A registered nurse, community volunteer and political activist, Kamal Khera is passionate about improving the lives of those around her. A first-generation Canadian, Kamal immigrated to Canada from Delhi, India, at a very young age. She attended York University where she earned her Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology and her Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Drawn to assisting others, Kamal gained diverse experience in the health field through her professional experience with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Peel Family Shelter, and William Osler Health Centre. Recently Kamal worked as a Registered Nurse in the Oncology Unit at St Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, which gave her a deep understanding of the issues that impact individuals every day.
Kamal is an active member of her community, having served as Chairperson of the South Asian Canadians Heritage Foundation, Mentor and Program Coordinator at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel, and Event Coordinator with Sick Kids Foundation. She also hosted Youth Vision—a local television talk show which explored issues surrounding young South Asian Canadians.
Last month Trudeau had appointed three Sikhs to Cabinet: Navdeep Bains (Ontario’s Mississauga-Malton) as Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Harjit Singh Sajjan (B.C.’s Vancouver South) as Minister of Defence, and Amarjeet Sohi (Alberta’s Edmonton Mill Woods) as Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.