Toronto: Indo-Canadian Cabinet Minister Anita Anand will contest the next federal election, changing her earlier decision to opt out and attributing the rethink on the “existential crisis” facing the country due to the tariff threats from the United States.
In a post on X recently, she said, “Our country is facing an existential crisis. These times are too critical and too significant to our country’s future for me to step away now. I look forward to continuing to serve and to running in the next Federal election.”
On January 11, Anand had made her announcement to exit electoral politics and return to academia, days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated his intent to resign once his successor was selected by the ruling Liberal Party. That process is scheduled to complete on March 9.
The federal poll is scheduled for October 2025 but could come earlier. Former central banker Mark Carney is favoured to win the leadership race and become the next Canadian PM.
In a statement, Anand - the first Hindu to become a Cabinet minister in Canada - said the country was facing a “crucial moment” in its history. She said since she made her announcement in January to step away from public life, “the gravity of this moment has only grown in significance”. “Illegal tariffs are continuously threatened, with our southern neighbour openly musing about annexation,” she added.
In a statement, the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, said Canada was facing a “crucial moment” in its history. She said since she made her announcement in January to step away from public life, “the gravity of this moment has only grown in significance”. “Illegal tariffs are continuously threatened, with our southern neighbor openly musing about annexation,” she added.
Ontario election: 5 Indo-Canadians electedFive Indo-Canadians have been elected to the Ontario legislature as provincial elections saw the ruling Progressive Conservative Party return to power for a third consecutive term. Among the Indo-Canadian winners was Prabhmeet Sarkaria, currently the Minister of Transportation. Sarkaria won Brampton South with 53% of the vote, besting Liberal candidate Bhavik Parikh who had just over 32%. Another victor was Associate Minister of Housing Nina Tangri, who retained the riding (as a constituency is called in Canada) of Mississauga-Streetsville with nearly 48% support. Others to win included Hardeep Grewal from Brampton East, Amarjot Sandhu from Brampton West and Deepak Anand from Mississauga-Malton. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for snap polls last month, stating his government needed a strong mandate to deal with the threat of tariffs from the US. |
