As a lifelong Burlington Ontario resident, new mother, and the youngest female cabinet minister in Canadian history, Karina Gould is a fierce advocate for her community.  For the past four years, she has been working hard to address issues related to climate change, healthcare, the rising costs of living, the need for good jobs, and greater equality in a growing society. In November 2019, after being re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Burlington, she was sworn in as Minister of International Development.

Karina was previously appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Development and La Francophonie, where she worked to restore Canada’s reputation on the world stage and helped to develop Canada’s feminist international assistance policy. In January 2017, she was sworn in as Minister of Democratic Institutions, with her primary role being to improve, strengthen and protect Canada’s democratic processes. As Minister, Karina has fought hard to make Canada’s democratic process more modern, secure, and accessible. And with the birth of her son, Oliver, Karina became the first federal cabinet minister to have a baby while holding office. She is passionate about breaking down barriers for women, youth, and underrepresented groups.

Karina holds degrees in Political Science from McGill University and International Relations from the University of Oxford. Prior to entering politics, she worked for the Mexican Trade Commission in Toronto and the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C.