Treasury board president and former defence minister Anita Anand will serve as Canada’s new transport minister following the resignation of Pablo Rodriguez.
Anand was first elected as member of parliament for Oakville in 2019 and joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet that year as minister of public services and procurement.
A lawyer and law professor who has taught at Yale and Queen’s universities, Anand served a two-year term as defence minister, starting in 2021. She will remain president of the treasury board while also shouldering the transport portfolio.
Anand was sworn in at Rideau Hall on Thursday in a small ceremony attended by staff and family members, as well as Gov. Gen. Mary Simon. Trudeau did not attend the ceremony, per CTV.
Sources reportedly told the broadcaster there are plans for a larger cabinet shuffle in the next few months. Rodriguez has also resigned from the Liberal caucus and will sit as an independent MP while preparing a bid for the provincial Liberal Party leadership in Quebec.
“We all know that in order for the economy to work efficiently, we also need a transportation system that works efficiently,” Anand told reporters. “That’s my priority in this role.”
Asked about her view of government intervention in labour disputes, she positioned her party as pro-labour.
“As a general matter, we believe that the best deals are made at the table, between the parties,” she said. “That is my position as minister … we will continue to be there to support labour now and into the future.”
