Who is Anita Anand? Top contender to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian PM

Transport Minister Anita Anand speaks to reporters following a cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall in Ottawa
| Photo Credit: Spencer Colby

As speculation grows about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s future as leader of the Liberal Party, Anita Anand has emerged as a frontrunner to replace him. Indian-origin Anita Anand, who held the Transport portfolio in Justin Trudeau’s government, is a prominent candidate among the names being put forward, along with important names like Dominic LeBlanc, Chrystia Freeland, Melanie Joly, François-Philippe Champagne, and Mark Carney. Here’s all you need to know about her. 

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Who is Anita Anand?

In 2021, Anita Anand, Canada’s first woman Defence Minister. She has carved out a reputation for decisive leadership during turbulent times. She led the charge in overhauling the Canadian Armed Forces, tackling systemic issues such as sexual misconduct and lack of diversity. Her approach to reform has earned her respect across party lines and a strong following among Liberal Party loyalists.

Born and raised in rural Nova Scotia, Anand moved to Ontario in 1985. According to the Canadian government’s website information, she and her husband, John, raised their four children in Oakville. Her parents were both physicians. While her father’s family is from Chennai in Tamil Nadu, her mother was born in a small town in Punjab. She is a trained lawyer and academic. Before entering politics, she was a professor of law at the University of Toronto, specialising in corporate governance. She holds degrees from Queen’s University, Dalhousie University, and the University of Oxford. Anand entered federal politics in 2019, representing Oakville, Ontario, and quickly rose through the ranks of Trudeau’s cabinet.

Key Achievements of Anita Anand

A senior member of the Liberal Party, Ms. Anand has been a Member of Parliament since 2019 and has held several high-profile positions, including Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Minister of National Defence, and President of the Treasury Board. Serving as Canada’s Minister of National Defence since 2021, she is credited with leading the country’s efforts to modernise its military capabilities and ensuring robust support for Ukraine amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. She assumed her current role as Minister of Transport in 2024. Since becoming Minister of Transport in 2024, Anand has focused on modernising Canada’s infrastructure and improving roads, highways, and railways while prioritising the transportation sector’s climate change and safety reforms. Addressing climate change has been central to her vision for Canada’s clean and green transport sector. 

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Before this, Anand served as Minister of Public Services and Procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she played a pivotal role in securing vaccines and critical medical supplies for Canadians. Her efforts earned her widespread recognition for her effective crisis management and negotiation skills. In addition to her ministerial portfolio, Anand has become a vocal advocate for increasing the representation of women and minorities in Canadian politics, making her a symbol of progressive leadership within the Liberal Party. 

If selected to replace Trudeau, Anita Anand would make history as the first woman of color and the first Canadian of Indian origin to become Canada’s Prime Minister. While Kim Campbell briefly held the position in 1993 as a Progressive Conservative, no woman from the Liberal Party has ever served in this role. Anand’s potential leadership marks a significant milestone in Canadian politics.

What’s next for Canada? 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on January 6, 2025, officially announced he will resign, following months of political turmoil, declining approval ratings, and increasing internal party division. Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, stated that he will step down once the Liberal Party elects a new leader. The leadership race for his successor will be a “robust, nationwide competitive process,” as Trudeau explained.

Canada’s next federal election is scheduled to take place on or before October 20, 2025. In this election, the party that secures the most seats in the House of Commons will form the government, with the leader of that party becoming the next prime minister.