Randeep Sarai has represented Surrey Centre in Ottawa since 2015, winning four consecutive elections in one of the most diverse ridings in the country. In May 2025 he took on a bigger stage, joining Prime Minister Carney's government as Secretary of State for International Development.
It is a significant step up for a backbencher turned minister. Before the promotion, Sarai served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence from September 2023 to March 2025. From 2021 to 2023 he chaired the powerful Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the committee that reviews the country's justice legislation.
His path to politics ran through law. He earned a political science degree from UBC and a law degree from Queen's University, then worked in real estate development and urban planning, two fields that shape daily life in a fast growing city like Surrey.
Sarai was born in Vancouver, the son of Sikh immigrant parents from Punjab, and practised law before entering politics. His first Parliament put him on the Citizenship and Immigration committee and later the Public Accounts committee, the watchdog that follows how Ottawa spends. In his second term he sat on International Trade, the special COVID-19 pandemic committee, and the committee on the economic relationship between Canada and the United States. He then spent two years on the Foreign Affairs and International Development committee, an early sign of where his career was heading. As chair of the Justice committee he also sat on the Liaison committee, which coordinates the work of the House's standing committees. On May 13, 2025, weeks after his fourth win, he was sworn in as Secretary of State for International Development.
Beyond Parliament Hill, his community roots show. He co-founded Virsa, a society focused on supporting youth and strengthening families, and has been involved in fundraising for polio eradication. He has also helped build a local temple and organized food drives.
For Surrey Centre residents, Sarai is now both their local MP and a voice at the cabinet table on Canada's role in the world.
This profile is part of Apna News' Candidates series, introducing the people who represent Surrey and its neighbouring communities. Apna News is Surrey's new multilingual news platform. If you spot something to correct or add, reach us at info@apnanews.ca.
Official links: canada.ca profile | Parliament profile/roles)
