Toronto: Indo-Canadian Maninder Sidhu was appointed as a parliamentary secretary to International Development Minister Karina Gould by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Reacting to the development, Maninder, a first-term Parliament member, said he was "excited and truly honoured." Maninder replaces another Indo-Canadian lawmaker Kamal Khera.
Maninder’s appointment was part of a reshuffle done by Trudeau. "Parliamentary secretaries support ministers to deliver real, positive results for Canadians. I am confident that this team’s dedication, skills, and experience will help us continue to fight the global Covid-19 pandemic, keep Canadians safe and supported, and build a more resilient Canada for everyone," Trudeau said in a statement.
Maninder is among 23 Indo-Canadians who were elected to Canada's House of Commons in the 2019 general elections. He was elected from Brampton East. A Sikh by faith, Maninder hails from India's Punjab state. Prior to venturing into politics in Canada, he ran a customs brokerage business.
Maninder is an alumnus of the University of Waterloo. He is married and has two daughters. Arif Virani is the other Indian-origin parliamentary secretary in the government. Indo-Canadians comprise 3 per cent of the population of Canada. There are three Indo-Canadians in Trudeau’s cabinet - Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand and Diversity and Inclusion and Youth Minister Bardish Chagger.
