In his new cabinet, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada named Anita Ananda to the influential position of Foreign Minister, tasked with carrying out the “mandate for change.”
In addition, he named two individuals of Indian heritage as secretary of state, which is the equivalent of a minister of state, and Maninder Sidhu as minister of foreign commerce.
Piloting the reestablishment of the nearly severed ties with India that Carney indicated while maintaining the fragile ties with President Donald Trump’s America will be one of Anand’s responsibilities.
He gave them instructions to “bring new ideas, a clear focus and decisive actions to their work” when he announced the new cabinet, which consists of 28 ministers.
Former Minister of Democratic Institutions Ruby Sahota has been demoted to Secretary of State and assigned to the task of fighting crime.
One of the ten secretary of state, Randeep Sarai, will handle international development.
In January, Anand, the former defense portfolio holder and now transport minister, announced her intention to leave politics and return to academics.
However, after she was re-elected in the election last month, Carney convinced her to rejoin the government and take on the foreign affairs post.
After leading the Liberal Party to victory and defeating the odds in last month’s election, Carney, who inherited the cabinet of outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, now has an opportunity to make his imprint.
In addition to removing three parliamentarians of Indian descent from the previous government, he reduced the number of ministers from 39 in Trudeau’s cabinet to 28.
Dominic LeBlanc, the minister in charge of Canada-US trade, has been given what is likely the most significant job amid the tariff battle with the US.
Previously serving as the deputy prime minister for the finance portfolio, Chrystia Freeland had run against Carney for the position of party leader for the industry sector.
Melanie Joly, who was transferred to the ministry of internal trade and transportation, is replaced by Anand.
By dismissing six Indian ambassadors last year on the grounds that they were “persons of interest” in the murder of Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Joly escalated relations with India.
In retaliation, India dismissed Canadian ambassadors and denied any participation in the convoluted issue involving gang warfare.
On the eve of the elections, Carney, who has referred to relations with India as “incredibly important,” stated that “there is a path forward to address those with mutual respect and to build out.”
Under previous Trudeau, who relied on the New Democratic Party, which was led by Jagmeet Singh, a purported Khalistan sympathiser, to maintain power, the relationship deteriorated.
Defense is taken over by former Public Safety Minister David McGuinty.
There are fewer Canadians of Indian heritage in the new cabinet.
Former Defense Minister and Emergency Preparedness Portfolio Holder Harjit Singh Sajjan quit the House of Commons without running for reelection.
Carney dismissed Kamal Khera, who was in charge of the diversity and inclusion of people with disabilities portfolio, and Arif Virani, who served as the justice minister and attorney general in the previous cabinet.
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