Bardish Chagger reflects on a tumultuous 2020 in Ottawa
The minister for diversity and inclusion and youth hopes the Liberals can document their lessons learned for the benefit of future governments, but she's not willing to say much about the failed student service grant
December 17, 2020
Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth Bardish Chagger during a Government of Canada briefing in Ottawa on June 25, 2020. (Lars Hagberg/CP)
Bardish Chagger is Canada’s first-ever minister for diversity and inclusion and youth. Chagger has sat at the cabinet table for every second of the Trudeau era, including stints as minister for small business and government House leader. A few months into the pandemic, Chagger found herself in the hot seat for her role in the WE Charity scandal that rocked Ottawa for much of the summer—and eventually led to Bill Morneau’s resignation as finance minister. Chagger’s contacts with WE before the program was announced came under intense scrutiny. As 2020 winds down, Chagger spoke to Associate Editor Nick Taylor-Vaisey about what her job entails, why her portfolio was so important in a pandemic and whether or not she would do anything differently if she could do it all again.