With an impressive resume in law and corporate governance, rookie MP Anita Anand was made Minister of Procurement, Supply and Services immediately after her election in 2019. While rare to be promoted to Cabinet as a brand new MP, Anand's background prepared her for a ministry whose primary responsibility for decades had been the negotiation of government purchasing contracts. Doubtless, it was viewed as a low key, low risk way for a new but clearly able MP to cut her teeth in cabinet and prove her worth.
Of course, no one foresaw the pandemic. Once it hit, Anand was thrust into the public spotlight, as Canada scrambled to obtain PPE, and eventually vaccines, to get COVID-19 under control.
Anand rose to that challenge. Canada is the envy of the world for our control of the virus and our vaccine rollout. Our death rate per capita is one of the best in the world. While we faced challenges in the early days, it was clear that the strategy of contracting for multiple vaccines from multiple vendors, and taking steps to avoid dependency on our then-unpredictable neighbour, proved to be the right one.
After being tempered in the crucible of the pandemic, Anand is being entrusted with one of the government's most problematic ministries.
As a veteran of the Canadian Army reserve (militia), I can attest to the longstanding culture of masculinity that thrived before women were taken into active military roles. When that change was implemented, I recall wondering how painful it would be. Would the women have to adapt ("if you want in, you have to play by our rules") or would the culture examine itself and adapt to the new reality?
The change took place against a broad backdrop of the growth of feminism, emancipating women through the 1960s and beyond. Within the military, the backlash was on every level, from the blatant to the subtle, from obvious sexism to micro-aggression, and, we are learning more and more, to sexual misconduct and the abuse of power.
Management consultant Peter Drucker once said that culture eats strategy for breakfast. Unsurprisingly, that's what has happened in the military. There is much to be said for the culture of loyalty and camaraderie, of courageous teamwork that has led to great achievements by our armed forces. Canada has rightly been proud of them for generations. But this issue is a blot on that record and it must be dealt with transparently to restore faith and confidence in the Canadian Armed Forces. They have important work to do, in dealing with natural disasters, in peacekeeping, in protecting Arctic sovereignty, to name but a few.
Anand has shown herself to be a sure hand in a crisis. She is motivated by a desire to serve her country. Hers is the kind of authentic competence we need for this task, and we wish her well in her new role.
