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Patricia A. Hajdu (born November 3, 1966) is a Canadian politician who has been Minister of Jobs and Families since May 13, 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, Hajdu was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 election and serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for Thunder Bay—Superior North. Hajdu is also the minister responsible for and previously served as the minister of status of women (2015–2017), minister of employment, workforce development and labour (2017–2019), minister of health (2019–2021) and minister of Indigenous services (2021–2025).
At 12 years old, Hajdu moved to Thunder Bay to live with her mother. Due to a tumultuous relationship, she ended up living on her own at age 16, while she finished high school. After graduating, she got a job in Thunder Bay through an employment insurance initiative, at a non-profit adult-literacy group, where she trained in graphic design.
Hajdu then attended Lakehead University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. In 2015, she received a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Victoria.
Hajdu worked mainly in the field of harm prevention, homelessness, and substance misuse prevention, including nine years as the head of the drug awareness committee of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. She also worked as a creative director and graphic designer in marketing. Prior to her election in 2015 she was the executive director at Shelter House, the city's largest homeless shelter. Meet Patty Hajdu, Liberal.ca.
On October 29, 2018, Minister Hajdu, alongside Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef and President of the Treasury Board and Minister for Digital Government Scott Brison, introduced pay equity legislation for federally regulated workplaces.
On March 25, 2020, Hajdu informed the Senate that she would invoke the Quarantine Act effective at midnight, federally mandating that all travellers (excluding essential workers) returning to the country must Self-isolating for 14 days, prohibiting those who are symptomatic from using public transit as transport to their place of self-isolation, and prohibiting self-isolation in settings where they may come in contact with those, who are vulnerable (people with pre-existing conditions and the elderly).
President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE Wesley Lesosky said in a statement: "The Liberals are violating our charter rights to take job action and giving Air Canada exactly what they want — hours and hours of unpaid labour from underpaid flight attendants". CIRB ordered the flight attendants to return to work at 14:00 EDT on August 17, and Air Canada announced that they would start resuming flights in response. However, the union called the return-to-work order unconstitutional and vowed to continue the strike, which resulted in a further cancellation of the planned flights.
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