Two Indian-origin women, Anita Anand and Kamal Khera, have been allocated portfolios in new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet.
Liberal Party’s Carney, who took over the office from Justin Trudeau, is a former central banker and was sworn in alongside members of the 30th Canadian Ministry on Friday at a ceremony presided over by Governor General Mary Simon.
Anand is the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, and Khera is the Minister of Health. Both leaders are among the few who have retained ministerial posts from Trudeau’s cabinet, however, with new portfolios.
Who Is Anita Anand?
The minister was born and raised in rural Nova Scotia and relocated to Ontario in 1985.
As per PTI, Anand was a front-runner in the race to be the next PM to replace Trudeau, but in January, she declared that she was backing out from the race and that she would not be seeking re-election. Later, on March 1, she reversed the decision and said, “Canada is facing a crucial moment in our nation’s history.”
As per the website of the Prime Minister of Canada, she was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019. Previously, she served as President of the Treasury Board, as Minister of National Defence, and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
The website explained, “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.”
Anand, 58, holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence, a Bachelor of Laws, and a Master of Laws. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994.
Anand posted on the social media platform X and clarified that as Canada’s Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, her priority is to support building the country’s economy of the future to fuel Canadian economic growth.
In the post, she wrote, “This is a Government focused on action. I look forward to working with Prime Minister @MarkJCarney and all my colleagues, so we can deliver results faster for all Canadians.”
@FP_Champagne, @rechievaldez, @mary_ng, @PascaleStOnge_, @Gudie pic.twitter.com/A95I0b93Jh
March 15, 2025
Who Is Kamal Khera?
Born in Delhi, India, Khera moved to Canada with her family when she was in school. The 36-year-old is one of the youngest women ever elected to the Parliament of Canada.
According to the website, she was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Brampton West in 2015. Previously, she served as Minister of Seniors, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.
The website elaborated that she is a registered nurse and, before entering politics, she worked as a nurse in the oncology unit at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto.
“During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, she went back to her roots as a registered nurse to volunteer at a hard-hit long-term care facility in her hometown of Brampton. Minister Khera continued to help on the front lines throughout the pandemic, including by administering vaccines in her community,” the website added.
Khera, in a post on X, wrote that her top priority is to be there to support the patients, and she continued to say that this is the same mentality she will bring to her new role.
In the post, she said, “Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
As a nurse, my top priority is to always be there to support my patients and that’s the same mentality I’ll bring everyday to the role of Minister of Health.
The new PM of Canada’s cabinet, with 13 men and 11 women, is smaller than former PM Trudeau’s 37-member team.
(with PTI inputs)
