Meet Anita Anand, Indo-Canadian Minister and likely successor to Justin Trudeau

Anita Anand, the Indian-origin Transport Minister, is a top contender to succeed Justin Trudeau. Born in Nova Scotia to Indian physician parents, she has held key roles in the incumbent Canadian government.

In Short

• Justin Trudeau resigned as Canada's PM after nine years in power
• Anita Anand emerges as a top contender to succeed Justin Trudeau
• Anand known for key roles in Canadian leadership and reforms

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as the head of state and leader of the ruling Liberal Party after a nine-year tenure in office and mounting pressure from within his party for a leadership change.

With only two months left until the March 24 deadline for selecting a new leader, the race for his successor has heated up. The country's parliament will remain suspended until the Liberal Party elects a new leader.

Among the names being considered as potential successors are Anita Anand, the Indian-origin Transport Minister, who has emerged as one of the strongest contenders for the top post. Other prominent figures in the race include Chrystia Freeland (the former Deputy Prime Minister who resigned before Trudeau's departure), Melanie Joly, Mark Carney, and François-Philippe Champagne.

WHO IS ANITA ANAND?

Anita Anand is currently serving as the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade. She has held several key positions in the last five years, including Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Minister of National Defence, and President of the Treasury Board.

Anita Anand, a 57-year-old Indian-origin politician, was born and raised in Kentville in Nova Scotia. She is the daughter of Saroj D Ram and SV (Andy) Anand, both Indian physicians of Tamil and Punjabi religions, respectively.

Anand has two sisters, Gita and Sonia. In 1985, she relocated to Ontario, where she settled in Oakville with her husband, John, and together they raised their four children.

Before entering politics, Anita Anand built an distinguished academic career marked by significant contributions to law and governance.

Anand holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen's University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto. She has also been called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994.

Anand has also served as a Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, where she hed the JR Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance.

Her teaching journey also included positions at esteemed institutions such as Yale Law School, Queen's University, and Western University.

She has also served as Associate Dean at the University of Toronto, a member of the Governing Board of Massey College, and the Director of Policy and Research at the Capital Markets Institute at the Rotman School of Management.

As a politician, Anand has been pivotal in navigating Canada through critical challenges. As Minister of Public Services and Procurement, she played a central role in securing vaccines, personal protective equipment, and rapid tests during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021, she was appointed Minister of National Defence, where she championed reforms to address sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces and supported Ukraine amidst its conflict with Russia.

Despite a controversial cabinet shuffle that reassigned her to the Treasury Board, Anand remains a key figure in the Liberal Party.