Who is Anita Anand, Indian-origin minister who may replace Trudeau as Canada's next PM?
Anand, a senior member of the Liberal Party of Canada, has been a member of parliament since 2019 and has held several key portfolios;
Canadian politician and Indian-origin Liberal Party leader, Anita Anand, who is currently the minister of transport and internal trade, is emerging as a front runner to replace Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister.
On January 6, Trudeau had announced his resignation ahead of the 2025 elections saying he would step down once the ruling Liberal Party eects a new leader.
So, who is Anita Anand?
Political career
Anand, a senior member of the Liberal Party of Canada, has been a member of parliament since 2019.
She has held several key portfolios, including as minister of national defence where she took initiatives to fight sexual misconduct and bring about cultural change in the Canadian Armed Forces.
As the minister of public services and procurement, Anand won a lot of appreciation nation-wide, when she led contract negotiations to secure vaccines, oxygen, masks, personal protective equipment, and rapid tests for Canadians during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September 2024, Anand became the minister of transport and internal trade minister and additionally held the role as president of the Treasury Board.
Also read: Trudeau’s resignation may mark turning point in Canada-India ties
Indian origins, education
She was born on May 20, 1967 in rural Nova Scotia to parents Saroj D Ram and SV Anand, who were doctors. They had moved to Canada from India in the early 1960s. Her father is from Tamil Nadu, while her mother is from Punjab. She has two sisters.
Her humble background seems to have played a big part in her values and shaped her professional ethics from the time she was a student.
In 1985, when she was 18, Anand moved to Ontario where she pursued an academic degree in political science. She then completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from Oxford University and followed it up with a bachelors and a masters degree in law from Dalhousie University and University of Toronto respectively.
In the initial stages of her professional life, Anand took up various teaching assignments, including at the renowned Yale Law School. She was also a professor of law at the University of Toronto and served as associate dean and was a member of the governing board of Massey College, and the director of policy and research at the Capital Markets Institute, Rotman School of Management.
Personal life
In 1995, Anita Anand married John Knowlton, a Canadian lawyer and business executive who she had met during her post-graduation in law at the University of Toronto. They have four children.
The couple has lived in Oakville for more than 21 years, from 1997 to 1999, and again from 2005 to the present day. She has represented Oakville in the House of Commons since 2019, when she first stood for election.
Watch | Trudeau exit could reboot India-Canada ties
Current achievements
As minister of transport for nearly a year, Anand has overseen the construction of key infrastructure projects across Canada to improve roads, highways and rail transport. She has also been at the forefront of addressing climate change and push for a clean and green transport sector in Canada. She has also been bringing in reforms for safety across the transportation sector.
Anand is also a champion of inclusiveness and gender equality. She has actively spoken in favour of LGBTQIA+ rights and supported diversity in Canada. Being a person of Indian descent, she herself has become a face of Canada's diverse political landscape.
If Anita Anand gets selected as Justin Trudeau's replacement, she will create history by becoming the first woman of colour and first Canadian of Indian origin to become the prime minister of Canada.
Also read: Justin Trudeau's anti-India allegations may have added to his downfall