Anita Indira Anand (born May 20, 1967) is a Canadian politician, lawyer and former academic who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, Anand was elected to the House of Commons in 2019 and is the member of Parliament (MP) for Oakville East. She has held a number of Cabinet portfolios since 2019.
Anand was elected as the MP for Oakville in the October 2019 election and was appointed to the Cabinet in November. In the 29th Canadian Ministry, chaired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Anand was first the minister of public services and procurement, where she was responsible for the federal government's procurement of vaccines and personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she became the minister of national defence and played a key role in Canadian efforts to provide military aid to Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Anand was the president of the Treasury Board from 2023 to 2024 and the minister of transport and internal trade from 2024 to 2025. In 2021, Anand was named Canada's "most valuable politician" by The Hill Times, and in 2022, Maclean's described her as the Trudeau government's "all-round fixer".
In the 30th Canadian Ministry, chaired by Prime Minister Mark Carney, Anand was appointed as the minister of innovation, science and industry. She held the role for two months prior to her appointment as the minister of foreign affairs following the 2025 federal election.
Anand is the first Hindu woman to be elected to Parliament and the first Hindu member of Cabinet in Canada. She is only the second woman, after former Prime Minister Kim Campbell, to be minister of national defence.
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Early life and education
Anita Indira Anand was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, in 1967. Her parents were both Indian physicians; her mother Saroj D. Ram was an anesthesiologist, and her father S.V. (Andy) Anand was a general surgeon. Her father was from Tamil Nadu and her mother was from Punjab. Anita has two sisters; her elder sister, Gita Anand, is an employment lawyer in Toronto, and her younger sister Sonia Anand is a physician and researcher at McMaster University.
Her parents were followers of Mahatma Gandhi and her father met him when her grandfather, V. A. Sundaram, was working with the Indian independence movement. Anand's parents immigrated to Canada in the early 1960s, and settled in Kentville, where Anand was born in 1967.
Anand enrolled at Queen's University in 1985, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political studies. She went on to Wadham College, Oxford, where she received a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in jurisprudence. After completing her studies at Oxford, she returned to Nova Scotia to obtain her Canadian Bachelor of Laws Dalhousie University before articling in Toronto. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1994. Anand also received a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1996.
Academic and legal career
Anand began her legal career as an associate at Torys from 1994 to 1997 (with leave to pursue her master's degree), after articling at there from 1992 to 1993. She then became assistant professor (adjunct) from 1997 to 1999 at the Faculty of Law of Western University. In 1999, she became assistant professor in the Faculty of Law at Queen's University, obtaining tenure and advancing to the rank of associate professor in 2003. She received a U.S.-Canada Fulbright Award in 2005 and attended Yale Law School as a visiting lecturer in law (fall 2005) while teaching comparative corporate governance.
Anand left Queen's University for the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, in 2006 where she was a full professor. She was associate dean from 2007 to 2009. From 2010 to 2019, Anand was the academic director of the Centre for the Legal Profession, as well as for its Program on Ethics in Law and Business. At the time of her election, she was a senior fellow and member of the Board of Governors of Massey College. She was also cross-appointed to the Rotman School of Management as the director of policy and research at the Capital Markets Research Institute, and to the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
On September 17, 2019, it was announced that Anand would receive the Yvan Allaire Medal from the Royal Society of Canada. The medal is bestowed annually for an outstanding contribution in governance of private and public organizations. The Royal Society stated that Anand's research "significantly altered global thinking about best practices for boards of directors, including the importance of diversity on boards".
Political career
2019 federal election
In the lead-up to the 2019 federal election, Anand decided to pursue the Liberal nomination for the riding of Oakville, Ontario, after the incumbent John Oliver announced that he would not run in the 2019 election. On June 12, 2019, Anita Anand won the Liberal nomination for the riding of Oakville, Ontario by a majority of votes on the first ballot. She defeated former member of Provincial Parliament Kevin Flynn for the nomination. On October 21, 2019, Anand won the riding of Oakville with 30,265 votes.
Anand was sworn in as the member of Parliament for Oakville on November 22, 2019, to represent Oakville in the House of Commons in the 43rd Canadian Parliament.
Minister of Public Services and Procurement
On November 20, 2019, Anand was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council and as the public services and procurement minister at Rideau Hall.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Anand and her department acted to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies for Canada's health care system. In order to ensure reliable access to PPE in a hyper-competitive market, Anand and her department adopted an aggressive procurement strategy and engaged a large number of suppliers to diversify Canada's supply chains. In April 2021, Anand told the House of Commons Health Committee that Public Services and Procurement Canada had procured over 2.5 billion articles of personal protective equipment, "with a substantial amount of that equipment being made right here, at home".
Beginning in the summer of 2020, the Canadian government signed contracts with the producers of seven leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, and the producers of supplies needed to package and administer those vaccines. Initially, Canada's target was to receive enough vaccines to fully immunize all eligible Canadians by September 30, 2021. By the end of July 2021, Canada had received a cumulative total of more than 66.4 million vaccines. By August 2021, Canada had attained the highest vaccination rate in the world.
Anand also worked to finalise Canada's agreements with vaccine producers regarding the procurement and delivery of COVID-19 vaccine doses for children. After Health Canada approved the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in pediatric populations under the age of 12 years on November 19, 2021, the first child doses of the vaccine arrived in Canada two days later, on November 21, 2021.
2021 federal election
Anand was re-elected to Parliament following the 2021 Canadian federal election. She defeated Conservative Kerry Colborne with 46 per cent of the vote.
Minister of National Defence
On October 26, 2021, Anand was sworn in as Minister of National Defence at Rideau Hall. She is the second woman in Canadian history to take on the role of national defence minister, after former prime minister Kim Campbell in the 1990s. Anand said that her priority was tackling sexual misconduct and changing culture in the Canadian Armed Forces.
On November 4, 2021, Anand announced that she accepted in full an interim recommendation from former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour that the investigation and prosecution of military sexual misconduct cases be referred to Canada's civilian justice system.
On December 13, 2021, Anand gave an official apology on behalf of the Government of Canada to people affected by sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence. She was joined by General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff, who apologized on behalf of the military, and Deputy Minister Jody Thomas, who apologized on behalf of the department.
On May 30, 2022, Anand was joined by Louise Arbour, General Wayne Eyre, and Deputy Minister Bill Matthews to release the final report of the Independent External Comprehensive Review into Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence.
On July 9, 2022, in Truro, Anand and Trudeau offered the Government of Canada's official apology to the members and descendants of No. 2 Construction Battalion, an all-Black battalion that faced anti-Black racism and discrimination during its service to Canada in World War I.
On December 16, 2022, Anand presented a report to Parliament detailing her official response to all 48 of Louise Arbour's 48 recommendations to respond to sexual misconduct and harassment in Canada's military and defence department, pursuant to Arbour's ask that Anand inform Parliament by the end of 2022 of any recommendations that the government would reject. Anand rejected none of the recommendations and stressed the need to change Canadian military culture to attract recruits.
In late January 2022, Anand and Trudeau announced that Canada would extend its training mission in Ukraine, Operation Unifier, by three years, and raise the ceiling of deployed personnel from 200 to 400. In announcing the extension, Anand stated, "The biggest contribution that Canada can make to Ukraine right now is people. We have trained, our soldiers have trained over 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers. We should not underestimate the importance of this training mission."
President of the Treasury Board
Anand assumed the position of President of the Treasury Board following a cabinet shuffle initiated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau amid a challenging political environment for the incumbent Liberal party.
In her role, Anand worked to advance the Greening Government Strategy, modernize and strengthen the Government of Canada's digital capabilities, strengthen management of taxpayer dollars, and promote diversity and inclusion within the public service. In October 2024, Anand announced that the federal government would purchase at least $10million of carbon removal services in the race to reach net-zero government operations by 2050. The purchases in carbon removal services will be made through TBS' Low-Carbon Fuel Procurement Program (LCFPP), an eight-year, $134.9 million initiative to reduce emissions from federal air and marine operations. This investment followed the Budget 2024 decision to expand the LCFPP to include the procurement of carbon dioxide removal services in addition to low-carbon intensity fuels.
Early in 2024, Anand announced her intention to re-ignite the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council, a bilateral forum between Canada and the United States that focuses on reducing regulatory barriers to ease trade, and save money for cross-border businesses
Minister of Transport
In September 2024, the Prime Minister appointed Anand minister of transport, in addition to her role as president of the Treasury Board.
In her new role, Anand announced a US preclearance facility will be built at Billy Bishop Airport downtown Toronto.
On December 21, 2024, she released the Airline Passenger Protection Regulations. Canada was the first country to bring in regulations of this sort and Minister Anand is seeking to strike the right balance between passenger protections and a competitive airline industry. In particular, the Canadian Transportation Agency's proposed amendments to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations were published in Part I of the Canada Gazette on December 21, 2024, for a 75-day public comment period.
Minister Anand explained that, "The goal of these proposed amendments is to make the regulations clearer for both travellers and air carriers. The proposed amendments eliminate grey zones and ambiguity about when passengers are owed compensation, which will ensure quicker resolutions for passengers."
In February 2025, Anand announced investments to strengthen port infrastructure, supply chain efficiency, and transportation decarbonization throughout Canada. On February 5, Anand announced $25 million for the Halifax Port Authority to advance the Halifax–Hamburg green shipping corridor, reducing emissions and improving port infrastructure. On February 11, she announced $35.5 million for clean marine technology in British Columbia under the Green Shipping Corridor Program, funding shore power, clean energy adoption, and low-emission vessels. This funding also allows for shore power technology, low-emission vessels, and clean energy adoption at ports, which aims to support Canada's transition to net-zero marine transport. On February 12, Anand announced $33.1 million for six infrastructure projects in British Columbia and Alberta under the National Trade Corridors Fund. The investment supports rail and port upgrades to enhance freight movement, intermodal connections, and supply chain efficiency. These investments strengthen Canada's trade networks and advance sustainable transportation.
On February 4, 2025, Anand announced over $125 million through Canada's Oceans Protection Plan to strengthen marine safety in 47 communities.
Minister of Internal Trade
Anand was sworn into a new cabinet position as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade as of December 20, 2024.
Anand was speculated to be a potential candidate in the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On January 11, she announced that she would not be standing for re-election in the 2025 Canadian federal election, instead opting to retire from politics to return to academia and research. On January 25, she endorsed former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney; and retracted her intention to retire from politics, opting to seek re-election.
Anand announced a public consultation about the Canada-US border on January 31, 2025, aimed at expanding security screening at Canadian ports, enhancing background checks, reinforcing border security, and protecting supply chains.
As the United States considered new tariffs, Anand emphasized the importance of strengthening internal trade and supporting Canadian businesses to ensure long-term economic stability. She advocated for reducing internal trade barriers between all provinces and territories, and enhancing domestic market resilience, arguing that greater economic integration within Canada will bolster competitiveness and safeguard jobs. Anand said that eliminating interprovincial trade barriers could boost GDP and domestic trade. She pushed for regulatory reforms to streamline trade between provinces, given mounting external trade pressures.
On February 7, 2025, Anand attended the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit, where she emphasized the need for a long-term prosperity agenda for Canada amid a 30-day pause on U.S. tariffs. Anand met leaders from trade, business, public policy, Indigenous communities, and labour to discuss strategies for breaking barriers, diversifying exports, and boosting productivity.
Anand led efforts to reduce interprovincial trade barriers and improve labour mobility, working with provinces and territories to streamline regulations, cut red tape, and enhance economic integration. Anand said that Canada's fragmented regulatory framework limits domestic trade, making it easier for some businesses to export abroad than to neighbouring provinces. She pushed for harmonizing agricultural regulations, simplifying licensing requirements, and removing restrictions on the transport of goods. With U.S. tariffs looming, Anand positioned internal trade reform as a critical tool to offset protectionist policies.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
On March 14, 2025, Anand was sworn into a new cabinet position under Mark Carney's government as Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
One of Minister Anand's priorities was defending Canada's steel and aluminum sectors amid rising concerns over the reintroduction of unjustified U.S. tariffs. She led strategic engagements with Canadian manufacturers, unions, and American counterparts to uphold cross-border supply chains and defend Canadian workers and exporters against protectionist measures with an open letter.
Anand worked to strengthen Canada's industrial resilience by supporting domestic production of critical goods. Through targeted investments and regulatory reform, she sought to safeguard Canadian economic sovereignty, boost supply chain security, and foster innovation in sectors such as clean technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.
As part of Canada's clean economy strategy, Anand encouraged investment in next-generation manufacturing. She oversaw a federal partnership with Siemens Canada to establish a new electric vehicle (EV) battery research and development centre in Oakville, Ontario. The centre is designed to accelerate innovation in battery efficiency and production methods, ensuring Canadian competitiveness in the global clean energy transition.
In addition, Anand announced a $49 million investment through the Strategic Innovation Fund in HTEC's $472 million hydrogen liquefaction project in North Vancouver. The facility will capture 15 tonnes per day of industrial by-product hydrogen and convert it into clean fuel for distribution across British Columbia and Alberta. The project is part of HTEC's broader H2 Gateway initiative, which includes up to 20 refuelling stations, three hydrogen production facilities, and a fleet of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks. It is expected to maintain up to 500 jobs and expand Canada's leadership in the emerging hydrogen economy.
Anand played a central role in the implementation of Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, aimed at rebuilding the country's domestic capacity to produce vaccines, therapies, and medical technologies. Since March 2020, over $2.3 billion has been invested in biomanufacturing across Canada.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Following the 2025 federal election, Anand was appointed minister of foreign affairs in Mark Carney's reshuffled cabinet. Amidst the Twelve-Day War, Anand led assisted departure efforts for Canadians who were looking to leave the Middle East due to safety concerns. In October 2025, Anand condemned the mass killings and atrocities committed in El Fasher, Sudan, following the city's fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In January 2026, Anand strongly condemned the Iranian regime in response to the violent suppression of nationwide anti-government protests.
She led diplomatic engagement with the European Union on trade and defence procurement. In October 2025, Anand became the first Canadian minister to visit India in two years, following a diplomatic row. She met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and sought to restore bilateral relations. In January 2026, she was part of the Canadian delegation to China.
On January 3, 2026, Anand officially reaffirmed that Canada does not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela. Anand signed a defence agreement with South Korea in February 2026.
Personal life
In 1995, Anand married John Knowlton. They have lived in Oakville for 21 years, from 1997 to 1999 and since 2005. The couple have four children. Anand identifies as both a Tamil Canadian and Punjabi Canadian owing to both her parents' heritages.
Anand was awarded the 2022 Global Citizen Award by the United Nations Association in Canada.