Ottawa/IBNS: Canada’s Transport Minister Anita Anand reportedly announced Saturday afternoon she will not run in the Liberal Party’s ongoing leadership contest to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, adding that she will not seek re-election either.
Anand, the first Hindu to become Canada’s Cabinet Minister, was considered as a potential candidate for leadership.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Anand said, “Today I am announcing that I will not be entering the race to become the next Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and will not be seeking re-election as the Member of Parliament for Oakville. I will continue to honourably execute my roles as a public office holder until the next election.”
She is the third cabinet minister not to participate in the Liberal Leadership race, other two being Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
Both Joly and LeBlanc said they would remain focused on their jobs in the cabinet to respond to the unjustified threat of tariffs from the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump.
Prior to Anand’s recruitment in the 2019 Federal election, she was law professor at the University of Toronto and plans to return to her previous profession.
“Now that the Prime Minister has made his decision to move to his next chapter, I have determined the time is right for me to do the same, and to return to my prior professional life of teaching, research and public policy analyses,” she remarked.
In 2021, she was made Minister of National Defence, and later became President of the Treasury Board. Last year, she was given the additional responsibility of the Transport department. On December 20, she was made Minister of Transport and Internal Trade.
“Back in 2019, I could never have imagined that such work would mean navigating supply chains to overcome a global pandemic, addressing sexual assault in the Canadian Armed Forces, ensuring military aid reached Ukraine, overseeing the Treasury Board Secretariat or reinforcing Canada’s transportation systems…it has been tremendously fulfilling to deliver results for Canadians by working collaboratively,” she said.
Anand said in a statement posted to social media she has been “deeply honoured and humbled to serve as Oakville’s Member of Parliament and as member of cabinet…in these roles, I have given all I have to keep Canada safe, strong, and free..I entered public life because I wanted to make a meaningful contribution to my community and country, a goal instilled in me by my parents, who immigrated to Canada before I was born.”
In her statement, Anand said while her time in public office “has been challenging, it has been tremendously fulfilling to deliver results for Canadians by working collaboratively…sincerely thank Prime Minister Trudeau for welcoming me on the Liberal team as a Member of Parliament and for entrusting me with key cabinet portfolios,” Anand said.
Triggered by the shocking resignation of then Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on Dec 16, Trudeau said Monday he was stepping down adding he would stay on as prime minister until his successor is chosen.
Governor General Mary Simon has prorogued the parliament until March 24, giving the new prime minister 15 days to make the transition. ■
Freeland is expected to be among the most eligible contenders for the leadership along with former Bank of Canada (and Bank of England) Governor Mark Carney.
Candidates have till January 23 to enter the contest.
