Who is Anita Anand, Mark Carney's pick for Canada's foreign minister?

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Anand was a lawyer and law professor for over 20 years before entering politics

In a major Cabinet shakeup, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney named Indian-origin Anita Anand as the new foreign minister on Tuesday. This comes after Carney succeeded Justin Trudeau earlier this year and secured an electoral victory last month.

 

Anand, who has held positions including defence minister, was appointed as the new foreign minister, replacing Mélanie Joly, who has been reassigned to serve as the minister of industry. After being sworn in to her new role, Anand took to X and wrote, "I am honoured to be named Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney and our team to build a safer, fairer world and deliver for Canadians."

 

Who is Anita Anand?

Anand was among the top contenders for the position of Canadian Prime Minister after Trudeau announced his resignation earlier this year.

 

Born on May 20, 1967, in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Anand's parents are Indian immigrants, Saroj D Ram and  SV Anand, who relocated to Canada from India in the early 1960s. Her mother hails from Punjab, and her father is from Tamil Nadu. She has two sisters, Gita and Sonia.

 

 

At the age of 18, Anand moved to Ontario to pursue higher education in political science. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, followed by a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in law from Dalhousie University and the University of Toronto, respectively. Over the years, she established a distinguished career in law, academia, and public service.

 

Before entering public office, Anand was a lawyer and law professor for over 20 years, most recently at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, where she served as a full professor and chairholder with a focus on capital markets regulation and governance.

 

Anand has occupied various roles throughout her political tenure. She entered federal politics in 2019 when she won the election as the Member of Parliament representing Oakville. From 2019 until 2021, she served as the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.  Anand has also served as the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of National Defence.

 

She and her husband John have raised their four children in Oakville.

Indian-origin candidates shine in Canadian federal polls

Indian-origin candidates, many hailing from Punjab, emerged as a prominent and influential group in the Canadian Parliament. Of approximately 65 Indian-origin contenders, a record 24 secured seats, up from 21 in the 2021 federal elections.

 

Notable winners include Randeep Sarai, who secured the Surrey Centre seat on a Liberal ticket. Sarai was born and raised in Vancouver and has represented the constituency since 2015. Bardish Chagger, a Liberal MP since 2015, was also re-elected from Waterloo. Her parents have roots in Punjab. Chagger is the first woman to serve as an MP from Waterloo.