TORONTO: Two Indo-Canadians Join Cabinet In Canada’s Ontario Province

TORONTO: Two more Indo-Canadian
politicians have been appointed as ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle in Canada’s
Ontario province, taking the representation of the community members in the
Executive Council to three.

Ontario
Premier Doug Ford on Friday reshuffled his Cabinet, with former finance
minister Rod Phillips – who resigned from his post following a Caribbean
vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic – returning as the new minister of
long-term care.

The reshuffle
comes just under a year before next June”s provincial election.

In the
previous ministry, there was one Indo-Canadian – Prabhmeet Sarkariya, who was
the associate minister of small business and red tape reduction.

Mr
Sarkariya, 30, has now been promoted to take over as president of the Treasury
Board.

He is the
first turban-wearing Sikh Cabinet minister in Ontario.

“It
is an honour to be sworn in as #Ontario”s President of the Treasury Board. I
am dedicated to working hard with Premier @fordnation and my colleagues to
support Ontarians as we continue to tackle the #COVID19 pandemic & work
towards our recovery! ,” Mr Sarkariya tweeted taking over the new role.

Mr
Sarkaria’s parents immigrated from Punjab, India in the 1980s.

Parm
Gill, 47, took on the new portfolio of citizenship and multiculturalism.

Mr Gill
was born in Moga, Punjab. He moved to Canada at a young age.

“Thank
you Premier @fordnation for this great honour and thank you to my community of
Milton for allowing me to represent you each and every day as part of this
Provincial Government,” he tweeted after his appointment.

“Who
would have thought a young boy who immigrated from India to Canada at a young
age, raised by a single mother, would today be sworn in as Minister of
Citizenship and Multiculturalism for the Province of Ontario,” Mr Gill
added.

Nina
Tangri was appointed associate minister of small business and red tape.