Transport Minister Anand says she's seeking re-election in face of Trump's threats

Transport Minister Anita Anand rises during question period on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — Anita Anand, minister of transport and internal trade, says she’s changed her mind and will run in the upcoming federal election.

In January, Anand said she would not run for the Liberal party leadership and would not seek re-election as she considered returning to her former life as an academic.

But she now says U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade threats are pushing her to stay on as she rallies the provinces to drop internal trade barriers.

She says that when she made her decision to step away, Canada was not in the “existential crisis” it’s in now.

The Liberals have seen a major bump in the polls since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would step down on Jan. 6, although Anand says her decision is not about politics.

When pressed on the recent improvement in her party’s political fortunes, Anand says she is running in a bellwether riding in Oakville, Ont. and it will be a tough fight.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2025.

Catherine Morrison and Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press