Canadian Transportation Minister Anita Anand Among Top Contenders to Replace Justin Trudeau; Liberal MP Chandra Arya Joins Race
- The Nova Scotia born-and raised Anand is a key figure in the Liberal Party, engineer-turned-politician, Arya was first elected in 2015, and represents Nepean in the House of Commons.
Since Justin Trudeau announced his resignation earlier this week, transportation minister Anita Anand’s name has been making rounds as a top contender to replace the Canadian prime minister. Currently serving as the minister of transport and internal trade, she has held several key positions in the last five years, and remains a key figure in the Liberal Party.
But Anand is not the only Indo-Canadian vying for the top spot. Ottawa Liberal MP Chandra Arya announced his run yesterday (Jan.9). His campaign announcement came with a long list of policy proposals including increasing the retirement age, a citizenship-based tax system and policies that mandate the country’s pension plans invest in Canada. “I am running to be the next Prime Minister of Canada to lead a small, more efficient government to rebuild our nation and secure prosperity for future generations,” he said, noting the need for a big shakeup in Canadian politics.
Anand. 57, was appointed Minister of National Defense in 2021, where she championed reforms to address sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces and supported Ukraine amidst its conflict with Russia. She 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.
Born and raised in Kentville in Nova Scotia, she is the daughter of Saroj D Ram and SV (Andy) Anand, both Indian physicians. 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, Anand built an distinguished academic career marked by significant contributions to law and governance. She also served as a professor of law at the University of Toronto, where she headed 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.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Political Studies from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) 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.
An engineer-turned-politician, Arya was first elected in 2015, and represents Nepean in the House of Commons. He hails from Karnataka, and has represented his cultural roots when he made a speech in his mother tongue Kannada in the Canadian Parliament in 2022, according to Hindustan Times. “I spoke in my mother tongue Kannada in Canadian parliament. This beautiful language has long history and is spoken by about 50 million people. This is the first time Kannada is spoken in any parliament in the world outside of India,” he had said in a post on X.
Arya studied engineering followed by Masters in Business Administration from India and moved to Canada over 20 years ago with his wife and son. Before entering politics, he had a long stint in the tech and business sector. After moving to Canada, Arya started his journey as an investment advisor in a bank and worked as an executive at a defence firm for six years before joining politics motivated by his passion for strengthening the middle class.He also served as the Chair of Indo-Canada Ottawa Business Chamber and was the founder-director of Federation of Canadian Brazilian Businesses, among his many other achievements. He resides in Nepean along with his wife, Sangeetha, who worked at the Ottawa Catholic School Board and his son, Sid, is a Chartered Accountant.
Arya is also a vocal advocate for Hindu Canadians and has clashed with other parliamentarians, including his own Liberal caucus colleagues, over his views on relations between Ottawa and New Delhi and the actions of Sikh separatists in Canada, according to the Toronto Star.
This fall, Arya “sparred with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Liberal caucus colleague Sukh Dhaliwal after separatist Sikh protesters clashed with Hindu worshippers at a temple in the Greater Toronto Area, during a visit from Indian consular officials,” the Toronto Star report said. At the time, there were heightened tensions between Canada and India.