Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Anita Anand, currently President of the Treasury Board, will also serve as Minister of Transport.
Pablo Rodriguez, currently Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant, will step down from his ministerial responsibilities.
Anand was sworn in to her new role in a brief ceremony at Rideau Hall on Thursday afternoon. Trudeau was not present, but Gov. Gen. Mary Simon was, as were a small number of staff and family members.
Anand was sworn in to her new role in a brief ceremony at Rideau Hall on Thursday afternoon. Trudeau was not present, but Gov. Gen. Mary Simon was, as were a small number of staff and family members.
Speaking to reporters, Anand thanked Rodriguez for his contributions but dodged questions about what his departure means for the Liberals’ political fortunes.
“In terms of his decision, that is a decision that he made independently, and I wish him well,” she said.
While Rodriguez has vacated his seat on the front bench, he will be staying on as the MP for Honoré-Mercier, Que. He has decided to sit as an Independent MP until the launch of the leadership campaign next January.
Anand was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019. She has previously served as Minister of National Defence and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement. Born and raised in rural Nova Scotia, she moved to Ontario in 1985. Anand has worked as a scholar, lawyer, and researcher. She has been a legal academic, including as a Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, where she held the J.R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. She 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. She has also taught law at Yale Law School, Queen’s University, and Western University.
