Chandigarh, August 20, 2016:
Bardish Chagger, who becomes first female government House Leader in Trudeau Cabinet,Canada, belongs to a Punjab origin family. She was born on April 6, 1980, in a Punjabi Sikh family, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Chagger's parents immigrated to Waterloo from India in the 1970’s. Her father, Gurminder Singh Chagger alias Gogi was active in Liberal Party politics and an admirer of Pierre Trudeau. Her first involvement in politics came in the age of 13 years when she campaigned in Waterloo as a volunteer for Andrew Telegdi in 1993 Federal Election. Chagger attended the University in Waterloo, with aspirations to become a nurse, but she became an executive assistant to Telegdi, who represented Waterloo in the House of Commons for the Liberals from 1993 to 2008.
Chagger graduated from the University of Waterloo with a bachelor's degree in science. After Telegedi's defeat in 2008, Chagger became a director of special events for the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre.
Chagger volunteered for Justin Trudeau’s 2013 party leadership bid and subsequently became the Liberal Party's candidate in the newly reconstituted Waterloo riding. She took 50 percent of the vote and defeated two-term conservative incumbent Peter Braid, who had earlier ousted her former employer Andrew Telegdi.