The Cabinet of Canada has had 32 visible minorities appointed members. A visible minority is defined as "persons, other than Aboriginal people, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour".Visible Minority Population and Population Group Reference Guide, 2006 Census from StatsCan
Pierre De Bané became the first Visible Minority and Arab Canadian to hold a Cabinet position when he was appointed Minister of Supply and Services in 1978 by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In 1979, Minister of Labour Lincoln Alexander became the first African Canadian appointed to the Cabinet. Hedy Fry became the first Visible Minority female cabinet member when she was appointed Minister for Status of Women and Multiculturalism in 1996. Raymond Chan became the first Chinese Canadian to hold a Cabinet Position when he was appointed Asia-Pacific Gateway Minister in 1993, while Herb Dhaliwal was the first South Asian Canadian minister, appointed Revenue Minister in 1997.
The Department of Multiculturalism has had the most visible minority cabinet ministers, with four. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed a total of 16 ministers of visible minorities to cabinet, the highest number as of 2025.
Carney Cabinet (2025–present) ImageMinisterTook officeLeft officeDurationMandatesNotes Shafqat AliMP for Brampton—Chinguacousy Park Incumbent Incumbent President of the Treasury Board (2025–present) Ali is a Pakistani-Canadian and the first Pakistani-Canadian to be appointed to cabinet. Anita AnandMP for Oakville Incumbent Incumbent Registrar General of Canada and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (2025) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2025–present) Anand was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Her parents were both physicians; her mother Saroj D. Ram was an anesthesiologist, and her father S.V. (Andy) Anand. Her father was from Tamil Nadu and her mother was from Punjab. Her family relocated to Ontario in 1985. She also served in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. MP for Scarborough—Rouge Park Incumbent Incumbent Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (2025) Minister of Public Safety (2025–present) Anandasangaree is a Sri Lankan Tamil Canadian. Born in Sri Lanka, his parents separated in 1980 and he and his mother moved to Ireland. Though they attempted to return to Sri Lanka in 1983, the outbreak of the Black July anti-Tamil riots changed their plans and Anandasangaree and his mother travelled to Canada as refugees from Sri Lanka in August 1983. His father is Sri Lankan Tamil politician V. Anandasangaree; Anandasangaree is estranged from his father and has only met him twice since 1983. He also served in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. Lena Metlege DiabMP for Halifax West Incumbent Incumbent Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (2025–present) Diab was born in Halifax, the daughter of first-generation Lebanese immigrants. She moved to Lebanon at age 2 but then moved back to Halifax at age 11, escaping the Lebanese Civil War. MP for Willodale 60 days Minister of Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement (2025) Ehsassi is one of the first two Canadians of Iranian heritage to be elected to Canadian federal parliament, with the other being Majid Jowhari, and the first Iranian-Canadian to sit in cabinet. Born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1970, his family relocated to New York City when he was 3-years-old, and then to North York, Ontario when he was 15-years-old. His maternal great-grandfather was Iranian statesman Abdolhossein Teymourtash, who was the first Minister of Court during the Pahlavi dynasty and Ehsassi's father was also an Iranian diplomat and worked in Iran's embassy in Switzerland when he was born. His family left Iran during the Iranian Revolution. MP for London West 60 days Minister of Democratic Institutions and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (2025) Kayabaga was born in Bujumbura, Burundi; her family moved to Canada when she was 11 as refugees from the Burundian Civil War, living in Montreal for a year before moving to London, Ontario. MP for Brampton West 60 days Minister of Health (2025) Khera is a first-generation Canadian who immigrated to Canada from Delhi, India, at a very young age. She also served in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. Marjorie MichelMP for Papineau Incumbent Incumbent Minister of Health (2025–present) Michel is of Haitian descent. She is the daughter of Victoire Marie-Rose Sterlin and former Prime Minister of Haiti Smarck Michel. Maninder SidhuMP for Brampton East Incumbent Incumbent Minister of International Trade (2025–present) Sidhu is Indo-Canadian and originally came from the Punjab state in India. He has resided in Brampton for over 30 years. MP for Mississauga—Streetsville Incumbent Incumbent Chief Government Whip (2025) Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth (2025–present) Valdez was born to overseas Filipino workers in Kitwe, Zambia in 1980. Her family immigrated to Canada in 1989 and settled in Erin Mills neighbourhood in Mississauga, Ontario. Valdez is the first Filipino Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons and the first to sit in cabinet. As part of the new cabinet sworn in after the 2025 Canadian federal election, Valdez was also appointed Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism). She also served in Justin Trudeau's cabinet.
J. Trudeau Cabinet (2015–2025)