Anita Anand

Early life and education Anita Indira Anand was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, in 1967. Her parents were both Indian physicians; her mother Saroj D. Ram was an anesthesiologist, and her father S.V. (Andy) Anand was a general surgeon.

Her parents were followers of Mahatma Gandhi and her father met him when her grandfather, V. A. Sundaram, was working with the Indian independence movement. Anand's parents immigrated to Canada in the early 1960s, and settled in Kentville, where Anand was born in 1967.

Anand enrolled at Queen's University in 1985, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political studies. She went on to Wadham College, Oxford, where she received a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in jurisprudence. After completing her studies at Oxford, she returned to Nova Scotia to obtain her Canadian Bachelor of Laws Dalhousie University before articling in Toronto. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1994. Anand also received a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1996.

Academic and legal career Anand began her legal career as an associate at Torys from 1994 to 1997 (with leave to pursue her master's degree), after articling at there from 1992 to 1993. She then became assistant professor (adjunct) from 1997 to 1999 at the Faculty of Law of Western University. In 1999, she became assistant professor in the Faculty of Law at Queen's University, obtaining tenure and advancing to the rank of associate professor in 2003. and attended Yale Law School as a visiting lecturer in law (fall 2005) while teaching comparative corporate governance.

Anand left Queen's University for the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, in 2006 where she was a full professor. She was associate dean from 2007 to 2009. From 2010 to 2019, Anand was the academic director of the Centre for the Legal Profession, as well as for its Program on Ethics in Law and Business. At the time of her election, she was a senior fellow and member of the Board of Governors of Massey College. She was also cross-appointed to the Rotman School of Management as the director of policy and research at the Capital Markets Research Institute, and to the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. The Royal Society stated that Anand's research "significantly altered global thinking about best practices for boards of directors, including the importance of diversity on boards".

Political career 2019 federal election In the lead-up to the 2019 federal election, Anand decided to pursue the Liberal nomination for the riding of Oakville, Ontario, after the incumbent John Oliver announced that he would not run in the 2019 election. On June 12, 2019, Anita Anand won the Liberal nomination for the riding of Oakville, Ontario by a majority of votes on the first ballot. She defeated former member of Provincial Parliament Kevin Flynn for the nomination. On October 21, 2019, Anand won the riding of Oakville with 30,265 votes.

Anand was sworn in as the member of Parliament for Oakville on November 22, 2019, to represent Oakville in the House of Commons in the 43rd Canadian Parliament.

Minister of Public Services and Procurement On November 20, 2019, Anand was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council and as the public services and procurement minister at Rideau Hall.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Anand and her department acted to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies for Canada's health care system. In order to ensure reliable access to PPE in a hyper-competitive market, Anand and her department adopted an aggressive procurement strategy and engaged a large number of suppliers to diversify Canada's supply chains. In April 2021, Anand told the House of Commons Health Committee that Public Services and Procurement Canada had procured over 2.5 billion articles of personal protective equipment, "with a substantial amount of that equipment being made right here, at home".

Beginning in the summer of 2020, the Canadian government signed contracts with the producers of seven leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, and the producers of supplies needed to package and administer those vaccines. Initially, Canada's target was to receive enough vaccines to fully immunize all eligible Canadians by September 30, 2021. By the end of July 2021, Canada had received a cumulative total of more than 66.4 million vaccines. By August 2021, Canada had attained the highest vaccination rate in the world.

2021 federal election

Anand was re-elected to Parliament following the 2021 Canadian federal election. She defeated Conservative Kerry Colborne with 46 per cent of the vote.

Minister of National Defence On October 26, 2021, Anand was sworn in as Minister of National Defence at Rideau Hall. She is the second woman in Canadian history to take on the role of national defence minister, after former prime minister Kim Campbell in the 1990s. Anand said that her priority was tackling sexual misconduct and changing culture in the Canadian Armed Forces.

On November 4, 2021, Anand announced that she accepted in full an interim recommendation from former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour that the investigation and prosecution of military sexual misconduct cases be referred to Canada's civilian justice system. thumb

On December 13, 2021, Anand gave an official apology on behalf of the Government of Canada to people affected by sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence. She was joined by General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff, who apologized on behalf of the military, and Deputy Minister Jody Thomas, who apologized on behalf of the department.

On May 30, 2022, Anand was joined by Louise Arbour, General Wayne Eyre, and Deputy Minister Bill Matthews to release the final report of the Independent External Comprehensive Review into Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence.

On July 9, 2022, in Truro, Anand and Trudeau offered the Government of Canada's official apology to the members and descendants of No. 2 Construction Battalion, an all-Black battalion that faced anti-Black racism and discrimination during its service to Canada in World War I.

On December 16, 2022, Anand presented a report to Parliament detailing her official response to all 48 of Louise Arbour's 48 recommendations to respond to sexual misconduct and harassment in Canada's military and defence department, pursuant to Arbour's ask that Anand inform Parliament by the end of 2022 of any recommendations that the government would reject. Anand rejected none of the recommendations and stressed the need to change Canadian military culture to attract recruits.

War in Ukraine

Anand stands with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Brussels, Belgium at a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in June 2022 Anand with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in April 2022 In late January 2022, Anand and Trudeau announced that Canada would extend its training mission in Ukraine, Operation Unifier, by three years, and raise the ceiling of deployed personnel from 200 to 400. In announcing the extension, Anand stated, "The biggest contribution that Canada can make to Ukraine right now is people. We have trained, our soldiers have trained over 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers. We should not underestimate the importance of this training mission." While in Ukraine, Anand met with Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov to discuss military aid to Ukraine, including in the area of cybersecurity.

Days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Anand announced an expansion of Canada's contribution to NATO operations in Europe. Under the umbrella of Operation Reassurance she announced the deployment of approximately 120 members of an artillery battery to join the Canadian-led NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia, and the deployment of an additional to NATO maritime forces.

On March 19, left port and joined NATO maritime forces in the Baltic region. At the departure ceremony, Anand said, "At this time it is so important for us all to be united, to stand together, to stand against unwarranted and illegal Russian aggression, and to stand up for peace, deterrence and the defensive posture on which NATO is built." Further types of military aid announced by Anand included fragmentation vests and meal packs, 4,500 M72 rocket launchers and up to 7,500 hand grenades, and funding to enable Ukraine to purchase modern satellite imagery. Anand also announced the procurement and donation to Ukraine of Canadian-made, specialized cameras for Bayraktar TB-2 drones.

On March 8, during a trip to Latvia, Anand and Trudeau announced the multi-year renewal of Operation Reassurance.

On April 14, at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton, Anand announced that the Canadian Armed Forces would deploy between 100 and 150 troops to Poland, to assist with Polish efforts to manage the flow of, and care for, Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. In late April 2022, Anand announced further military aid for Ukraine. On April 22, 2022, Anand confirmed that Canada had delivered M777 howitzers to Ukrainian Forces. At a conference of the Ukraine Defense Consultative Group at Ramstein Air Base, Canada announced that it had signed a contract for eight armoured vehicles for Ukraine. Just days later, Anand confirmed that the Canadian Armed Forces had begun to train Ukrainian forces in the use of the howitzers.

On May 8, an additional $50 million in military assistance to Ukraine was announced, including 18 drone cameras, $15 million for high-resolution satellite imagery, additional ammunition and small arms. On May 24, Anand announced at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Victoria that Canada had purchased more than 20,000 rounds of artillery ammunition for Ukraine, which are compatible with M777 artillery guns provided by Canada, at a cost of $98 million CAD. On June 15, at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Anand said that Canada would donate $9 million worth of M777 howitzer replacement barrels to Ukraine.

At the 2022 NATO Leaders Summit in Madrid, Anand agreed with Latvia's Defence Minister, Artis Pabriks, to upgrade the Canadian-led NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia to a brigade size. At the summit, Canada committed new military aid for Ukraine, specifically, six drone cameras and up to 39 armoured combat support vehicles.

In July 2022, at the 15th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Brasília, Anand led an effort to convince other countries present to denounce the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Anand told Politico that "Canada and I, as the representative here, felt that it's very important to voice this concern in a tangible way here at the conference... There is an impact of the Russian invasion on this region, a negative impact on economies here, on food security in our hemisphere." Canada's efforts were successful, with the conference's final declaration stating, "The conflicts present around the world, such as the invasion of Ukraine and the violent acts by armed groups that terrorize the population in Haiti are not legitimate means to settle disputes, therefore the Member States of the CDMA, seek peaceful solutions as soon as possible." The Declaration also included a disclaimer by Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Paraguay, the United States of America and Uruguay, reiterating these countries "condemnation in the strongest terms of the Russian Federation's illegal, invasion of Ukraine."

In September 2022, Anand told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that it would increase the capacity of the Royal Canadian Air Force hub in Prestwick, Scotland, by adding a third C-130 Hercules aircraft and increasing its presence to 55 personnel, enabling it to deliver additional military aid to Ukraine.

Anand visited Warsaw on October 11, 2022, and met her Polish counterpart Mariusz Błaszczak. While in Warsaw, Anand announced the deployment of approximately forty Canadian Armed Forces combat engineers to Poland to train Ukrainian sappers under Operation Unifier. Referring to the Russian attacks, Anand condemned the Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities as war crimes. The next day, at a meeting of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Anand announced an additional $47 million CAD in military aid to Ukraine, including "artillery rounds, satellite communications, winter clothing and drone cameras, among other assistance".

On November 14, 2022, Canada announced an additional $500 million in military aid for Ukraine, bringing its total commitment of military aid to over $1 billion CAD since February 2022. On November 16, 2022, Canada announced the extension of Operation Unifier in the United Kingdom through the end of 2023. At a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group later that day, Anand also announced that Canada would contribute $34 million in additional military aid to Ukraine, in the form of drone cameras, additional winter clothing, and satellite services. Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's defence minister, said that the system will "considerably reinforce" Ukraine's defence capabilities. This announcement marked the full allocation of the additional $500 million in military aid to Ukraine announced by Canada on November 14, 2022.

Anand announced on January 26, 2023, that Canada would donate four of the Canadian Army's Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, with the possibility of more to follow.

NORAD and continental defence

At United States Northern Command headquarters, Anand, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and General Glen D. VanHerck listen to the playing of the Canadian and American national anthems in 2022 Anand hosts U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the 2022 Halifax International Security Forum, in her home province of Nova Scotia Anand's 2021 mandate letter from Prime Minister Trudeau instructed her to "work with the United States to modernize the North American Aerospace Defence Command." On June 20, 2022, at CFB Trenton, Anand announced a five-point NORAD modernization plan that is estimated to cost approximately $40 billion over twenty years. Anand said that there was "pressing need" to respond to threats like hypersonic and cruise missiles, and declared that the plan was "the most significant upgrade to NORAD from a Canadian perspective in almost four decades."

During a visit to Labrador on August 24, 2022, Anand confirmed that CFB Goose Bay would be one of four northern locations to receive basing upgrades under the $15.68 billion allocated for infrastructure upgrades in Canada's NORAD modernization plan.

On January 9, 2023, Anand announced that Canada had finalized the acquisition of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force. In a statement, Anand said, "As the rules-based international order is challenged around the world, the F-35 will be essential for protecting Canadians, enhancing Arctic security and national sovereignty, and enabling Canada to meet its NATO, NORAD and other obligations well into the future."

Indo-Pacific Days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Anand told the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence that "Europe is not the only fault line in the global security environment at the current time." She spoke about the need to be "cognizant of China's range of assertive activities in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world ... the patterns are there for all to see, frankly."

Following a visit to Taiwan by Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Anand told CBC News in August 2022 that "it is routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally, and China's escalatory response simply risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region." She called on China "not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region and to resolve cross-strait differences by peaceful means". She added, "We will challenge China when we ought to. We will cooperate with China when we must." The Strategy referred to China as an "increasingly disruptive global power". In October 2024, Anand announced that the federal government would purchase at least $10million of carbon removal services in the race to reach net-zero government operations by 2050. The purchases in carbon removal services will be made through TBS' Low-Carbon Fuel Procurement Program (LCFPP), an eight-year, $134.9 million initiative to reduce emissions from federal air and marine operations. This investment followed the Budget 2024 decision to expand the LCFPP to include the procurement of carbon dioxide removal services in addition to low-carbon intensity fuels. In February 2024, Anand announced an action plan for Black public service employees. The implementation of the Action Plan was to be led by an internal task force made up of primarily Black employees. The task force was to engage through check-ins with employee networks, surveys, and discussions with Black public servants to further the implementation of current and future initiatives under the Action Plan. In October 2024, Anand joined 50 Black executives from 2 cohorts to celebrate the launch of a new stream of the Executive Leadership Development Program.

One of Anand's priorities was modernizing legacy IT systems and increasing computer security across the federal government. Anand launched the GC Digital Talent Platform to allow employees with digital knowledge and skills to apply for jobs in the public service in January 2024. In May 2024, Anand announced a government-wide cyber security strategy. That same month, Anand announced consultations with public and private experts on creating an AI strategy for the public service.

In June 2024, Anand announced her intent to expand early pension eligibility for frontline safety and security workers across the federal government, or the "25 and out" pension. These proposed changes would provide consistency to how the pension plan recognizes the demanding nature of the day-to-day duties for these occupational groups.

Canada-US Regulatory Cooperation Council

Early in 2024, Anand announced her intention to re-ignite the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council, a bilateral forum between Canada and the United States that focuses on reducing regulatory barriers to ease trade, and save money for cross-border businesses

Minister of Transport In September 2024, the Prime Minister appointed Anand minister of transport, in addition to her role as president of the Treasury Board.

Air In her new role, Anand announced a US preclearance facility will be built at Billy Bishop Airport downtown Toronto.

On December 21, 2024, she released the Airline Passenger Protection Regulations. Canada was the first country to bring in regulations of this sort and Minister Anand is seeking to strike the right balance between passenger protections and a competitive airline industry. In particular, the Canadian Transportation Agency's proposed amendments to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations were published in Part I of the Canada Gazette on December 21, 2024, for a 75-day public comment period.

Minister Anand explained that, "The goal of these proposed amendments is to make the regulations clearer for both travellers and air carriers. The proposed amendments eliminate grey zones and ambiguity about when passengers are owed compensation, which will ensure quicker resolutions for passengers."

Shipping In February 2025, Anand announced investments to strengthen port infrastructure, supply chain efficiency, and transportation decarbonization throughout Canada. On February 5, Anand announced $25 million for the Halifax Port Authority to advance the Halifax–Hamburg green shipping corridor, reducing emissions and improving port infrastructure. On February 11, she announced $35.5 million for clean marine technology in British Columbia under the Green Shipping Corridor Program, funding shore power, clean energy adoption, and low-emission vessels. This funding also allows for shore power technology, low-emission vessels, and clean energy adoption at ports, which aims to support Canada's transition to net-zero marine transport. On February 12, Anand announced $33.1 million for six infrastructure projects in British Columbia and Alberta under the National Trade Corridors Fund. The investment supports rail and port upgrades to enhance freight movement, intermodal connections, and supply chain efficiency. These investments strengthen Canada's trade networks and advance sustainable transportation.

On February 4, 2025, Anand announced over $125 million through Canada's Oceans Protection Plan to strengthen marine safety in 47 communities.

Rail In October 2024, Anand announced $45 million in rail safety nationwide. Then on February 12, 2025, Anand together with Trudeau and Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of Alto, announced Alto, Canada's first high-speed rail network connecting Toronto and Quebec City. Spanning and reaching speeds of , the project is intended to cut travel times in half, with additional stops in Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivières. As Canada's largest infrastructure project, Alto is expected to boost GDP by $35 billion annually, create over 51,000 jobs during construction, and enhance economic productivity. The government committed $3.9 billion over six years for project development, with Cadence, a consortium of global transportation firms, selected to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the network. Anand highlighted Alto's role in strengthening regional economies and reducing emissions and the collaboration between public and private partners to deliver a modern, efficient transportation system.

Minister of Internal Trade Anand was sworn into a new cabinet position as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade as of December 20, 2024.

Anand was speculated to be a potential candidate in the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On January 11, she announced that she would not be standing for re-election in the 2025 Canadian federal election, instead opting to retire from politics to return to academia and research. On January 25, she endorsed former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney; and retracted her intention to retire from politics, opting to seek re-election.

Anand announced a public consultation about the Canada-US border on January 31, 2025, aimed at expanding security screening at Canadian ports, enhancing background checks, reinforcing border security, and protecting supply chains.

As the United States considered new tariffs, Anand emphasized the importance of strengthening internal trade and supporting Canadian businesses to ensure long-term economic stability. She advocated for reducing internal trade barriers between all provinces and territories, and enhancing domestic market resilience, arguing that greater economic integration within Canada will bolster competitiveness and safeguard jobs. Anand said that eliminating interprovincial trade barriers could boost GDP and domestic trade. She pushed for regulatory reforms to streamline trade between provinces, given mounting external trade pressures.

On February 7, 2025, Anand attended the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit, where she emphasized the need for a long-term prosperity agenda for Canada amid a 30-day pause on U.S. tariffs. Anand met leaders from trade, business, public policy, Indigenous communities, and labour to discuss strategies for breaking barriers, diversifying exports, and boosting productivity.

Anand led efforts to reduce interprovincial trade barriers and improve labour mobility, working with provinces and territories to streamline regulations, cut red tape, and enhance economic integration. Anand said that Canada's fragmented regulatory framework limits domestic trade, making it easier for some businesses to export abroad than to neighbouring provinces. She pushed for harmonizing agricultural regulations, simplifying licensing requirements, and removing restrictions on the transport of goods. With U.S. tariffs looming, Anand positioned internal trade reform as a critical tool to offset protectionist policies.

On January 31, Anand outlined her proposal for tackling barriers to internal trade in an opinion piece in the Toronto Star.

At a meeting of the Committee on Internal Trade in February 2025, provinces and territories committed to eliminating exceptions to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), prioritizing the removal of regulatory and administrative barriers to the movement of goods in Canada, aiming to ensure workers can work in any jurisdiction in this country without delay, and to make it easier to buy and sell Canadian goods. On February 21, The Globe and Mail broke the story that the federal government was removing more than half of their exceptions from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, opening up competition across the country. The Committee on Internal Trade met again in Toronto on February 28,

Steel and Aluminum Sector One of Minister Anand's priorities was defending Canada's steel and aluminum sectors amid rising concerns over the reintroduction of unjustified U.S. tariffs. She led strategic engagements with Canadian manufacturers, unions, and American counterparts to uphold cross-border supply chains and defend Canadian workers and exporters against protectionist measures with an open letter.

Anand worked to strengthen Canada's industrial resilience by supporting domestic production of critical goods. Through targeted investments and regulatory reform, she sought to safeguard Canadian economic sovereignty, boost supply chain security, and foster innovation in sectors such as clean technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.

Clean technology and advanced manufacturing As part of Canada's clean economy strategy, Anand encouraged investment in next-generation manufacturing. She oversaw a federal partnership with Siemens Canada to establish a new electric vehicle (EV) battery research and development centre in Oakville, Ontario. The centre is designed to accelerate innovation in battery efficiency and production methods, ensuring Canadian competitiveness in the global clean energy transition.

In addition, Anand announced a $49 million investment through the Strategic Innovation Fund in HTEC's $472 million hydrogen liquefaction project in North Vancouver. The facility will capture 15 tonnes per day of industrial by-product hydrogen and convert it into clean fuel for distribution across British Columbia and Alberta. The project is part of HTEC's broader H2 Gateway initiative, which includes up to 20 refuelling stations, three hydrogen production facilities, and a fleet of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks. It is expected to maintain up to 500 jobs and expand Canada's leadership in the emerging hydrogen economy.

Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy Anand played a central role in the implementation of Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, aimed at rebuilding the country's domestic capacity to produce vaccines, therapies, and medical technologies. Since March 2020, over $2.3 billion has been invested in biomanufacturing across Canada.

Under her leadership, the government announced a $49.9 million investment in STEMCELL Technologies Canada Inc. through the Strategic Innovation Fund to support a $222 million project that includes the construction of two new biomanufacturing facilities.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Following the 2025 federal election, Anand was appointed minister of foreign affairs in Mark Carney's reshuffled cabinet.

Foreign Policy Minister Anand attended the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, where she delivered Canada’s national statement. In her address, she reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to international cooperation and underscored the three pillars of Canada’s foreign policy: defence and security, economic resilience, and the country’s core values. She also condemned key global crises, including Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the deteriorating situation in Haiti.

On November 11 and 12, 2025, Anand hosted the G7 countries and seven outreach countries including Brazil, India, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, South Africa and Ukraine in the Niagara region for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Anand is one of the ministers leading the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), an initiative hosted by Canada, to mobilize capital, accelerate defence production and strengthen collective security. Anand also put forward Canada’s candidacy to host the 2028 Francophonie Summit to Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, on March 25, 2026. On July 1st, 2026, it was confirmed that Canada would be hosting.

In June 2026, Anand introduced Bill C-35, An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced by forced labour. The proposed legislation would establish a standalone framework to prohibit the importation of goods produced by forced labour, replacing the existing import prohibition under the Customs Tariff. It would also give the Minister of Foreign Affairs authority to designate high-risk goods, regions, entities or individuals where there are reasonable grounds to suspect the use of forced labour, and would require importers of designated goods to provide enhanced supply-chain information to the Canada Border Services Agency.

War in Ukraine Anand announced on October 31st, 2025, alongside her colleague Minister Tim Hodgson, that Canada would fast-track the remaining $10M of it $70M commitment to support Ukraine’s energy resilience. During the G7 meeting in Niagara, Anand also announced in a joint press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, additional sanctions against Russia.

On December 2 and 3rd, 2025, Anand travelled to Brussels, Belgium to participate in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs. During this visit, she announced $235 million to bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend itself through NATO’s PURL and CAP programs. On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, in February 2026, Anand announced $20 million for the Ukraine Energy Support Fund and over 170 new sanctions against Russian individuals, entities and vessels.

On May 11, 2026, Anand signed the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, making Canada the first non-European country to sign this international mechanism that will hold Russia accountable for the destruction caused by its war in Ukraine. On the same day, at the High-level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in Belgium, Anand announced that Canada would be hosting a conference in September 2026, on the return, rehabilitation and reintegration of Ukrainian deported children, detained civilians and prisoners of war.

Middle East Amidst the Twelve-Day War, Anand led assisted departure efforts for Canadians who were looking to leave the Middle East due to safety concerns. In October 2025, Anand condemned the mass killings and atrocities committed in El Fasher, Sudan, following the city's fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Canada also joined a joint statement on February 18 calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and safe humanitarian access in Sudan.

In January 2026, Anand strongly condemned the Iranian regime in response to the violent suppression of nationwide anti-government protests. On February 14, 2026, Anand announced additional sanctions against Iran to address its use of transnational repression, violence, and other repressive tactics.

When the war in Iran broke out on February 28, 2026, Anand issued statements calling on all parties for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and respect for international law. She called for de-escalation and emphasized Canada’s focus on protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance. During the first days of the war, Anand presented three options for Canadians to get our of the region: charter flights, block bookings of seats on commercial flights and ground transportation services. Since then, she has travelled to the Middle East region to meet with her counterparts from Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to discuss regional developments and de-escalation efforts. In April 2026, she welcomed a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon as a step toward de-escalation and called on all parties to respect it.

When in the United Kingdom, on June 11, 2026, Anand, her British counterpart, Yvette Cooper and her Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, launched an International Peace Fund for Israelis and Palestinians. She announced that Canada would be contributing $1.8 million over three years in order to support initiatives that foster dialogue, build trust and strengthen civil society engagement.

Anand travelled to Saudi Arabia with Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney in July 2026. During this visit, the two countries signed 13 commercial agreements and Memorandum or Understandings worth more than $1 billion across the mining, infrastructure, health technology, education and defence sectors.

Europe Anand often engaged with the European Union. In June 2025, she participated in the Canada–EU Summit in Brussels, where Canada and the European Union discussed strengthening their economic relationship and cooperation on shared international challenges. She led diplomatic engagement with the European Union on trade and defence procurement. In May 2026, Anand participated in an informal exchange with EU foreign ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council, where they discussed Canada–EU bilateral relations and cooperation on international issues of mutual interest.

Anand also worked to strengthen Canada’s bilateral relationships with European allies. In June 2025, she met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in Paris to advance cooperation on defence and security, democratic values, G7 priorities and la Francophonie. She also engaged with Germany on multilateral peace and security cooperation. Following the 2025 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, Canada announced more than $40 million in new commitments to UN peace operations and peacebuilding.

Asia It is under Anand that Canada and India resumed diplomatic ties, beginning with the appointment of a new High Commissioner on August 28. In October 2025, Anand became the first Canadian minister to visit India in two years, following a diplomatic row. She met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and sought to restore bilateral relations. In October 2025, Anand became the first Canadian minister to visit India in two years, following a diplomatic row. She met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and sought to restore bilateral relations. During this visit, Anand and her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, agreed on a joint work plan to strengthen and elevate the partnership between Canada and India. The plan outlines a shared commitment to rebuild trust and deepen cooperation toward a balanced, constructive, and long-term relationship. Key areas of collaboration include trade and investment, climate and energy, science, technology and agriculture, as well as people-to-people ties. In interviews, Anand also emphasized that she raised Canada’s domestic security concerns in every meeting with Indian officials.

Following this trip, Anand travelled to China. She described the visit as an opportunity to advance the bilateral strategic partnership. This trip signalled a shift away from the 2022 Indo-Pacific strategy. Anand noted that the Indo-Pacific Strategy is currently being revised. In January 2026, she was also part of the Canadian delegation to China. Several agreements were signed covering economic and financial cooperation, energy, security, and people-to-people ties, and a strategic partnership was established. Anand welcomed her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, for the first visit by a Chinese Foreign Minister to Canada in over ten years on May 29, 2026. They agreed to meet at least once a year, as foreign ministers, in order to work closely on resolving sensitive issues.

Anand signed a defence agreement with South Korea in February 2026.

Africa Anand was the first Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit Benin on August 5, 2026. In Cotonou, Anand opened Canada’s new embassy and announced $17 million across seven initiatives supporting women, school nutrition, clean energy and regional security. She also travelled to Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire on August 6, 2026, where she announced over $68 million in Canadian financing and investments and signed an agreement to establish regular bilateral consultation between Canada and Côte d’Ivoire.

Latin America In September 2025, Anand accompanied Prime Minister Carney to Mexico, where Canada and Mexico established a strategic partnership to ensure close cooperation during the review of the CUSMA agreement.

On January 3, 2026, Anand officially reaffirmed that Canada does not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela.

Following the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Cuba, Anand announced on February 25, 2026, alongside, Secretary of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai, $8 million in immediate humanitarian assistance for food security and nutrition assistance. Anand announced on June 25, 2026, with Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State for International Development,$5 million in humanitarian assistance to help the people of Venezuela following the earthquake that killed more than 6,400 people. A matching fund was also launched on June 30, 2026, where every donation made by Canadians to the Canadian Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition were to be matched by the Government of Canada up to $4 million. On July 18, 2026, this matching fund was increased to $7 million.

In Brazil, on July 14, 2026, Anand met with Mauro Vieira where they signed the Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement to strengthen cooperation between Canadian and Brazilian customs authorities and a new Memorandum of Understanding on Health Sector Cooperation.

On July 17, 2026, Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Velasco Alvarez, travelled to Canada to meet with Anand. During this visit, Anand announced over $12 million for projects to combat transnational criminal networks, identify missing and deceased people in Mexico and help detect illegal fishing with Canadian satellite technology. These announcements aim at addressing bilateral priorities under the Canada-Mexico Action Plan (CMAP).

Arctic In July 2025, Minister Anand appointed Virginia Mearns as Canada’s Arctic Ambassador as part of the country’s renewed Arctic foreign policy. In August 2025, Anand travelled to Finland to attend the Nordic Five meeting with Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. Two joint statements were issued during the visit. The first, a joint statement with Finland on a foreign and security policy strategic partnership, reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to deepening collaboration within NATO, the Arctic, and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The second, a joint statement with the Nordic Five on support for Ukraine, underscored the importance of Ukraine’s participation in peace efforts and reaffirmed the necessity of upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty.

In early February 2026, Anand travelled to Denmark and Greenland to formally open Canada’s consulate in Nuuk, Greenland. The official opening marked a commitment under Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy. In the same month, she delivered a keynote address at the Arctic 360 conference, where she stated that NATO’s Arctic Sentry initiative should become a permanent fixture.

Personal life In 1995, Anand married John Knowlton. They have lived in Oakville for 21 years, from 1997 to 1999 and since 2005. The couple have four children.

Anand was awarded the 2022 Global Citizen Award by the United Nations Association in Canada.

Electoral record