Patty Hajdu
- Born
- November 3, 1966 — Montreal
- Family
- Mother of two adult sons
- Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, Lakehead University; Masters of Public Administration, University of Victoria
- Career
- Worked in harm prevention, homelessness, and substance misuse prevention; head of the drug awareness committee of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit; creative director and graphic designer in marketing; executive director at Shelter House
- Political Experience
- Minister of Status of Women (2015–2017), Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour (2017–2019), Minister of Health (2019–2021), Minister of Indigenous Services (2021–2025), Minister of Jobs and Families (2025-)
- Notable
- Spent early years in Chisholm, Minnesota; raised by her aunt and uncle; lived on her own at age 16 while finishing high school
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, Patty Hajdu had a career focused on public health and social issues in Thunder Bay. She was the executive director of Shelter House, a local homeless shelter, and also worked on projects related to drug policy, harm reduction, and community health. Her public disclosures with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner have listed assets such as a rental property and various publicly traded securities.
Key Relationships & Connections
As a long-serving cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Hajdu is a senior member of the Liberal Party's leadership team. She has held several high-profile portfolios, including Minister of Health and her current role as Minister of Indigenous Services, indicating a close working relationship with the Prime Minister and other key cabinet members. In her capacity as Minister of Indigenous Services, she works directly with the leaders of national Indigenous organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Métis National Council.
Public Controversies
As Minister of Health during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Patty Hajdu faced criticism for her early assessments of the virus's risk to Canada. Her statements, which were based on the World Health Organization's advice at the time, suggested the risk was low and that border closures were not an effective containment measure. These positions were later reversed as the pandemic's severity became clear, and her initial comments became a source of political controversy. Later in her tenure as Health Minister, Hajdu was involved in a significant dispute with Parliament over the government's refusal to release unredacted documents concerning the firing of two scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. The government, citing national security, took the Speaker of the House of Commons to court to prevent the release of the documents to a parliamentary committee, a move that was widely criticized as a breach of parliamentary privilege.
Where Patty falls on key policy spectrums
Your Money
People & Society
How We're Governed
Land & Community
How does Patty Hajdu's voting record line up with your values?
Mr. Speaker, constituents I am meeting in my riding are talking about the changes in their lives through the Canada dental care plan. People who have never been able to get dental care, who have not been covered by plans, for the first time in their lives are able to see the dentist. People with young children who have not been able to bring their children for dental care now have coverage. Let
Mr. Speaker, since those guys do not know how to pick up a cheque, in fact, I paid for lunch and I took Sean Strickland, president of Canada's Building Trades Unions, out for lunch because we want to hear their ideas about how we make sure that these good, union jobs, which, by the way, employers need all across the country, come to fruition. Canada's Building Trades Unions' operating engineers,
Mr. Speaker, the real question is whether the member will vote for the spring economic update, which invests $6 billion in working people, including in skilled trades workers, in unions and in the people across the country who are not only bringing in the next generation of tradespeople, but also ensuring these good union jobs are filled with people who have the opportunity to take advantage of
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I had lunch with Sean Strickland from Canada's Building— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Mr. Speaker, last week I was in Marathon, Ontario, to talk about mining. There is a mining boom in northern Ontario, something I think these guys are not aware of. Do members know what came up over and over again? It was gratitude for a government that is taking seriously the investment into natural resource extraction in northern Ontario, that is helping provinces in the country get natural
Mr. Speaker, maybe if that member went to northern Ontario and talked to people in the mining sector and really listened to what big employers and small business owners are saying, he would hear that what we are doing is exactly what is needed. In fact, we have been applauded by employers, by union representatives, by trainees and by hard-working people who are saying, “We need an opportunity to
C-30 Mr. Speaker, I am so excited to stand and talk about Bill, the spring economic update that would invest $6 billion in working people, skilled trades workers, unions and great-paying jobs, building up the workforce of today and the future. It is clear that these guys have no idea what working-class people are calling for. They are calling for investments in their communities, investments in
Mr. Speaker, here is a big idea: Do not vote against child care that is saving families in Saskatchewan thousands of dollars a month per child, one of the most effective measures to make sure that young families get ahead, that women can participate in the workforce, that women's productivity and wages grow along with their career and that CPP enhancements are there for women at the end of their