Meet Anita Anand, Canada's New Foreign Minister With Indian Origin

Indian-origin leader Anita Anand has become the new Foreign Minister in Canada at a time when Ottawa's relationship with the US and India has been strained.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a significant Cabinet overhaul on Tuesday, appointing Indian-origin leader Anita Anand as Canada's new Foreign Minister. The reshape comes as Carney solidifies his newly re-elected Liberal government, following his victory last month and his earlier succession of Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister.

Anand had earlier served as Defence Minister, and she has now replaced Melanie Joly as the Foreign Minister. The latter has now been given the Industry portfolio. However, François-Philippe Champagne has been retained his position as Finance Minister, and Dominic LeBlanc continues as Minister of US Trade amid ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the United States.

Carney, a former central banker for both Canada and the UK, rose to power by pledging to counter US President Donald Trump's aggressive policies toward Canada while maintaining a measured, economic-focused leadership style.

Key Changes in Cabinet

In the new Cabinet, 10 ministers have been dropped including Defence Minister Bill Blair. David McGuinty has been given Public Safety to Defence, while while ex-Goldman Sachs Canada CEO Tim Hodgson takes over as Natural Resources Minister-a role aligned with Carney's vision of transforming Canada into an energy "superpower" through large-scale infrastructure projects.

Notably, former journalist Evan Solomon joins as the inaugural Minister of Artificial Intelligence, reflecting the government's focus on emerging technologies. The Cabinet maintains gender parity, with women holding half the positions-a continuity from Trudeau's administration.

Anita Anand: A Rising Political Star

Anand, the first Hindu in Canada's federal Cabinet (2019), has held multiple high-profile roles, including:

• Public Services and Procurement Minister (overseeing COVID-19 vaccine procurement)
• Defence Minister (2021-2023), managing Canada's military aid to Ukraine and addressing misconduct in the Armed Forces
• Transport and Internal Trade Minister (2024)

She was born on May 20, 1967, in Kentville, Nova Scotia to Indian immigrant doctors - her mother (Saroj) from Punjab and father (SV Anand) from Tamil Nadu. Her family moved to Canada in the 1960s. Her two siblings are Gita and Sonia.

Anand earned degrees from Oxford, Dalhousie, and the University of Toronto before building a distinguished career in law and public service. She and her husband, lawyer John Knowlton, reside in Oakville with their four children.