Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement Sept. 19. Anand was sworn in the same day at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
“I am honoured to take on the role of Transport Minister in addition to my current role as President of the Treasury Board,” Anand reported via social media platform X. “I’m looking forward to the work ahead. To my friend and colleague @pablorodriguez, thank you for your service of over 20 years, and for your mentorship. And to the Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau – thank you for your continued trust in me.”
As the head of Transport Canada, she noted, “I will be focused on moving goods and services efficiently so our economy can continue grow.”
Rodriguez will now “run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party,” according to CTV News. He has “vacated his seat on the front bench, [but] he will be staying on as the MP [Member of Parliament] for Honoré-Mercier, Que. In a notable move, Rodriguez has decided to sit as an Independent MP until the launch of the leadership campaign next January.”
Rodriguez had also served as Quebec Lieutenant; that position transitions to Jean-Yves Duclos, who will retain his role as Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
Anand was first elected as the MP for Oakville, Ontario, in 2019. She served previously as Minister of National Defense and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement. Anand has worked as a scholar, lawyer and researcher. She was a Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, where she held the J.R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. She also served as Associate Dean and was a member of the Governing Board of Massey College and the Director of Policy and Research at the Capital Markets Research Institute, Rotman School of Management. Additionally, she taught law at Yale Law School, Queen’s University, and Western University.
Anand holds a Bachelor of Arts in political studies from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Arts in jurisprudence from the University of Oxford, a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto.
