Honourable Chagger was elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo on October 19th, 2015. Bardish was named as Minister of Small Business and Tourism by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 4th, 2015.

Bardish worked at the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, an organization that assists new Canadians as they transition to full participation in our community’s life. As the Special Projects Coordinator, she planned and coordinated the annual Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Festival in Kitchener’s Victoria Park, bringing together community, cultural and business groups in Waterloo Region. She also worked with other agencies to offer an annual Global Skills Conference to introduce foreign-trained professionals to related professions and to find meaningful employment. She has recently been a board member with the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin and also with MT Space, a professional, not-for-profit theatre company and arts and culture organization located in Waterloo Region.

Bardish graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004. She is the recipient of the Pink Attitude Evolution’s “Woman of the Year” award and the Waterloo Region Record’s “40 under 40” award. She is an active volunteer with Interfaith Grand River, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Waterloo Rotary Club. Rotary’s principal motto of ‘Service Above Self’ is an accurate reflection of Bardish’s passion for civic engagement as well.