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.
Anand, who was first elected in 2019, said last month that the prime minister's decision to move on inspired her to do the same.
But she said Friday 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 said that when she made her decision to step away, Canada was not in the "existential crisis" it's in now. She said she made her decision before U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated.
"However, we now face threats of annexation, we are being called the 51st state and we are facing the potential 25 per cent tariffs across the economy, including on steel and aluminum," Anand said. "I simply cannot leave."
Anand said she has been asked by thousands of people across the country to stay on.
"I took those requests at their word and decided that this is simply not the time that I can return to academia, although I do hope one day that I will be able to do that," Anand said. "I am a person who is in public service to contribute to the life of Canada."
The Liberals have seen a major bump in the polls since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Jan. 6 he would step down. Anand insisted her decision is not about politics.
When pressed on the recent improvement in her party's political fortunes, Anand said she is running in a bellwether riding in Oakville, Ont. and it will be a tough fight.
"This is not about the politics. This is about the public service, period," Anand said.
Anand is not the only one who has reversed course and decided to run in the upcoming election.
In a Jan. 20 post on social media, Markham-Stouffville MP Helena Jaczek said she was endorsing Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney and that the "new energy' in the party had led her to change her plans and run in the next election.
After being sworn in as Canada's new housing minister, MP for Beaches-East York Nathaniel Erskine-Smith also said he had changed his mind and would seek re-election, after indicating in early 2024 that he would not.
Carney is hosting a meet-and-greet with Anand in Oakville on Friday night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2025.
Catherine Morrison and Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
