Not only will federal Transport Minister Anita Anand not enter the race for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada (PLC), but she will not seek a third term in the next election, she announced on Saturday .
Posted at 2:17 p.m.
Updated at 3:13 p.m.
“Today, as the Prime Minister turns an important page in his career, the time has come for me to do the same: to resume my professional life and return to teaching, research and analysis public policies,” wrote the elected official in a letter published on her social networks.
The name of Mme Anand was among those circulating as potential candidates to succeed Justin Trudeau as leader of the PLC. She was also called to order a few years ago because of her unsubtle networking efforts for a possible leadership race.
The minister distinguished herself during the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring the supply of vaccines to Canada. She was then transferred to head the Ministry of National Defense in 2021 and, less than two years later, to the Treasury Board, before heading the Ministry of Transport after the departure of Pablo Rodriguez. His responsibilities for Internal Trade were added during the last cabinet reshuffle in December.
I could never have imagined that this journey would lead me to manage supply chains during a global pandemic, to combat sexual misconduct within the Armed Forces, to oversee Canadian military aid to Ukraine, to ensure the proper functioning of the Treasury Board Secretariat or strengthen our country’s transportation systems.
Anita Anand, in her letter
“These issues, these challenges – sometimes complex, sometimes unexpected – have made this chapter of my life an extraordinarily enriching human and professional adventure. It is with deep gratitude that I have served Canadians throughout this mandate. »
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Justin Trudeau, Anita Anand and Mary Simon, the Governor General of Canada, during the cabinet reshuffle on December 20.
Member of Parliament for Oakville, Ontario, since 2019, Ms.me Anand is the first Indian woman to be elected to this position. She was then elected with a majority of 4704 votes. She was re-elected two years later, but her majority had dropped to 3,707 votes.
“During my first campaign, I was warned that a woman of Indian origin would never be elected in this riding,” she wrote. “Voters have proven that this is not the case, twice since 2019. This honor will stay with me forever. »
In his statement, Mr.me Anand thanks Prime Minister Trudeau “from the bottom of his heart” and expresses his “gratitude” to his colleagues in the Liberal caucus.
Mme Anand is the third in the Cabinet to rule out a candidate in the race for the leadership of the PLC after the Minister of Finance, Dominic LeBlanc, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.
The party’s National Council set the registration fee at $350,000. This means that those who choose to get started will need to have a solid organization and the skills to raise funds if they want to be able to raise this amount.
Several media outlets report that the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, Mark Carney, would be ready to announce his candidacy. So does former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Karina Gould, who currently serves as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, is also reportedly ready to announce her entry into the race next week. “The elements are falling into place in a very encouraging way,” said a member of his entourage to The Press Friday. At 37, she would be the youngest candidate.
The former premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark, who is considering getting involved, is on the defensive. She denied having ever been a member of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) in an interview on the show The House broadcast Saturday on CBC radio.
She had nevertheless publicly given her support to Jean Charest during the conservative leadership race in 2022, but she explains today that she ultimately never took out a membership card to vote. His version contrasts with that of the CCP.
Those interested in the liberal leadership will have to make a decision quickly since they will have until January 23 to formalize their candidacy, according to the rules revealed by the PLC Thursday evening. This leaves them two weeks to organize themselves and gauge their support. The name of the next head of the PLC will be known on March 9.
Prime Minister Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, but he remains in office until a successor is elected by the Liberals. Elections could take place quickly thereafter since his minority government no longer has the confidence of the opposition parties. The Governor General agreed to prorogue Parliament until March 24 at her request. The Conservatives, the Bloc and the New Democrats have all indicated that they would bring down the government at the first opportunity as soon as parliamentary work resumes.
