Anita Anand in Race to become Canada’s Next Prime Minister

After Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as Canadian Prime Minister, several possible successors have emerged. Among them is Anita Anand.

Anand is currently the Minister of Transport in Trudeau’s Liberal Party.

Throughout her career, she has held several key positions.

First elected as the MP for Oakville in 2019, she served as Minister of Public Services and Procurement from 2019 to 2021.

Anand has also held roles as President of the Treasury Board and Minister of National Defence.

During her tenure as Minister of National Defence, Anand implemented reforms to tackle sexual misconduct within the military.

In September 2024, Anand became Minister of Transport while continuing to serve as President of the Treasury Board.

When it comes to her family, her father’s family is from Chennai while her mother was born in Punjab. Both her parents were physicians.

Anita Anand previously said she is proud of her Tamil and Punjabi heritage:

“I am proud to be of both Tamil and Punjabi ancestry… I have grown up loving both of these cultures within the Indian diaspora.

“So when I take that little story of my family and look across our country and (see) many many Canadians have a similar story to the one that I just told you, I feel a deep connection to our community.”

Anand recalled how her parents met in Ireland where her mother was at a medical school and her father was a doctor.

The politician continued: “They got married in England and they lived in India and Nigeria before deciding to embark on a new adventure together and immigrate to North America.

“They had the idea that they may end up in the US, but the first stop that my father made on a reconnaissance trip was in Nova Scotia and he decided to stay there.”

Her mother and sisters, who were born in Nigeria, joined them in Canada.

Anand and her younger sister were born in Nova Scotia.

After Justin Trudeau announced his resignation, the Liberals must elect a new leader before Parliament resumes on March 24, 2025.

This is because the three opposition parties have said they will bring down the Liberal government in a no-confidence vote at the first opportunity, which would trigger an election.

If Anita Anand were to become Prime Minister, her tenure might not be long as a spring election would likely favour the Conservative Party.

Others in the PM race include the new Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is the former Public Safety Minister and a close friend of Trudeau.

However, analysts believe Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will form the next government.

Poilievre has blamed Canada’s cost of living crisis on Trudeau. He has also vowed to scrap a carbon tax and defund the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.