Canadian Transport Minister Anita Anand will announce on Friday that she is reversing her decision to retire from politics and will instead seek re-election, according to sources familiar with her plans.
Anand, who previously said she would not run in the upcoming federal election or seek to lead the governing Liberal Party, will make the announcement at an event with Mark Carney, the front-runner to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the sources said.
The sources were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Anand’s office and Carney’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
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The decision is a U-turn for Anand, who said on January 11 that she was “deeply honoured and humbled” to have served as a cabinet minister and member of Parliament for Oakville, Ontario, but would not seek re-election.
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Her change of heart comes as a recent surge in Liberal Party support, fueled by the return of former US President Donald Trump and Trudeau’s resignation announcement, has put the party in a statistical tie with its Conservative rivals after months of trailing in opinion polls.
Carney, a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, consistently outpolls other Liberal leadership contenders and has secured the most endorsements from cabinet and caucus members. He has also raised more money from a larger number of donors compared to his rivals.
Anand’s decision provides the Liberals with an incumbent candidate in a key battleground riding in the politically important province of Ontario. Since her election in 2019, she has held several high-profile cabinet positions including minister of public services and procurement and minister of national defence.
Anand follows in the footsteps of two other Liberal members of Parliament. Housing Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and New Brunswick MP Wayne Long both previously said they would not seek re-election but have since changed tack, with Long saying he would run again if Carney becomes party leader.
With Trudeau stepping down, Trump back in the White House, and polls showing a close race, Liberal insiders and candidates are increasingly bullish about the party’s chances in the next election, the timing of which has yet to be announced.
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