Natalia Kusendova-Bashta

Natalia Kusendova-Bashta MPP is a Canadian politician who serves as the Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care and has served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2018. She represents the riding of Mississauga Centre as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Natalia Kusendova-Bashta
Minister of Long-Term Care
Assumed office
June 6, 2024
Preceded byStan Cho
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Mississauga Centre
Assumed office
June 7, 2018
Preceded byFirst Member
Personal details
Political partyProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Residence(s)Mississauga, Ontario
OccupationNurse

Before entering politics, Kusendova-Bashta worked as a nurse.[citation needed]

Background

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Kusendova-Bashta holds Bachelor of Science degrees in human and molecular biology from the University of Toronto and in nursing from Nipissing University. In addition, she speaks five languages: English, Polish, French, Czech and Slovak.[1] Kusendova-Bashta is of Slovak and Polish descent.[citation needed]

Political career

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Kusendova-Bashta was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 Ontario election.[2]

In March 2020, while the province was under a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Kusendova-Bashta started taking 12-hour shifts three days per week in the emergency department at Etobicoke General Hospital.[3] In September 2020, Kusendova-Bashta's bill to recognize the Franco-Ontarian flag as an emblem of the province of Ontario was passed by the Ontario legislature and into law.[4]

Kusendova-Bashta was re-elected in the 2022 provincial election.[5] On June 6, 2024, she was elevated to the executive council during a cabinet shuffle in which she was appointed Minister of Long-Term Care by Premier Doug Ford.[6]

Electoral record

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2022 Ontario general election: Mississauga Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Natalia Kusendova 14,719 43.60 +2.74
Liberal Sumira Malik 12,260 36.32 +10.92
New Democratic Sarah Walji 4,148 12.29 −15.27
Green Adriane Franklin 1,188 3.52 +0.89
New Blue Audrey Simpson 523 1.55  
Ontario Party Stephanie Wright 332 0.98  
None of the Above Greg Vezina 288 0.85  
Populist Elie Diab 163 0.48  
Moderate Viktor Chornopyskyy 137 0.41 −0.03
Total valid votes 33,758 100.0  
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 271
Turnout 34,029 38.14
Eligible voters 89,129
Progressive Conservative hold Swing −4.09
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.
2018 Ontario general election: Mississauga Centre
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Natalia Kusendova 17,860 40.86
New Democratic Laura Kaminker 12,046 27.56
Liberal Bobbie Daid 11,102 25.40
Green Noah Gould 1,149 2.63
Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda Alex Pacis 890 2.04
Libertarian Farouk Giga 471 1.08
Moderate Viktor Chornopyskyy 192 0.44
Total valid votes 100.0  
Progressive Conservative pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario[7]

References

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  1. ^ "About". Mississauga Centre PC Riding Association. Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  2. ^ Javed, Noor (June 7, 2018). "PCs elected in Mississauga Centre and Mississauga—Erin Mills". Toronto Star.
  3. ^ Sasitharan, Kirthana. "Ontario MPP returns to health-care front lines to assist COVID-19 pandemic response". cbc.ca. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  4. ^ "Bill 182, Franco-Ontarian Emblem Amendment Act, 2020". Government of Ontario. September 24, 2020.
  5. ^ Cornwell, Steve (June 2, 2022). "PC's Natalia Kusendova re-elected in Mississauga Centre". Mississauga.com. Mississauga, Ontario. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  6. ^ Jones, Allison; Casey, Liam (June 6, 2024). "Ontario Premier Doug Ford shuffles cabinet". CBC News. Toronto, Ontario. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  7. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
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