Sri Lankan born Tamil MP Gary Anandasangaree has been appointed as a Cabinet Minister in the Canadian Government.
The MP has been appointed as the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
He was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Rouge Park in 2015. He has previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism (Multiculturalism).
Minister Anandasangaree is an internationally recognized human rights lawyer and community activist who has advocated tirelessly for education and justice.
He has served as Chair of the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre, President of the Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce, and counsel to the Canadian Tamil Congress. He was also a board member of the Youth Challenge Fund, a member of the Toronto Police Chief’s Advisory Board, and a member of the United Way Newcomers Grant Program.
Minister Anandasangaree managed his own law firm in Scarborough, Ontario, specializing in business, real estate, and international human rights law. As a passionate advocate for human rights, he regularly represented Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada at the United Nations. He also served as a strong advocate for local youth, intervening in cases of wrongful student expulsion and suspension.
In honour of his devotion to community service and local advocacy, Minister Anandasangaree has received both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He also received the Osgoode Hall Law School “One to Watch” Gold Key Award and the South Asian Bar Association’s Young Practitioner Award.
Minister Anandasangaree holds degrees from Carleton University and Osgoode Hall Law School. He is married and has two children, Bairvai and Sahanah.