World News
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigned amid strained diplomatic relations with India, sparking discussions about his successor, including Anita Anand.
Anita Anand is currently the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. Anand is a key member of Trudeau's cabinet and is considered a strong contender for the PM position.
Anita Anand is a qualified lawyer and politician who has also served as Canada's Defence Minister. Her father is from Tamil Nadu, while her mother is from Punjab.
Anita Anand was born in rural Nova Scotia. She settled in Ontario in 1985, where she raised four children with her husband, John.
Elected as an MP from Oakville in 2019, she held senior positions as Minister of Public Services and Procurement, National Defence, and President of the Treasury Board.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Anita Anand led contract negotiations to secure vaccines, protective equipment, and rapid tests for Canadian citizens.
As National Defence Minister, she initiated reforms to address sexual harassment in the military and worked towards culture change within the Canadian Armed Forces.
She led Canada's military aid to train Ukrainian troops when Russia illegally invaded Ukraine.
In 2024, she was appointed as Canada's Transport Minister and became the President of the Treasury Board.
Besides politics, Anita Anand has also been a scholar, lawyer, and researcher. She served as a law professor at the University of Toronto.
She was a member of Massey College's Governing Board and Director of Policy and Research at the Rotman School of Management's Capital Markets Institute.
Anita Anand holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen's University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from Oxford University.
Anita Anand also earned a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1994.