Lankan born Gary Anandasangaree appointed as a Cabinet Minister in Canadian Government

Lankan born 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.

Sathiyasangaree "Gary" Anandasangaree PC is a Sri Lankan Tamil Canadian politician and lawyer. Gary Anandasangaree is the son of Veerasingham, Anandasangaree, a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and the leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)

Gary Anandasangaree was first elected in 2015 as the MP for the Toronto riding of Scarborough-Rouge Park.

On Wednesday, he was sworn in as minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, a position previously held by Marc Miller.

Anandasangaree had previously served as the parliamentary secretary to the Crown-Indigenous relations minister, as well as to the justice and heritage ministers.

Born in Sri Lanka, he arrived in Canada with his mother in 1983. Anandasangaree holds degrees from Carleton University in Ottawa and Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

He managed a law firm in Scarborough that focused on business, real estate and international human rights law, and has represented the organization Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada at the United Nations. He's also been involved with Tamil community organizations.

In March, Anandasangaree made the news for comments he made on Sri Lanka, calling it "a failed and bankrupt state."

Anandasangaree arrived in Canada as a refugee in 1983

In 1983, Anandasangaree arrived in Canada as a refugee with his mother. Subsequently throughout his adult life, he has advocated for the rights of refugees in Canada. Anandasangaree is now an internationally recognized human rights lawyer, who has regularly represented Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Anandasangaree attended Osgoode Hall Law School, and was officially called to the Bar of Ontario in 2006. He then went on to manage his own law firm in Scarborough. Anandasangaree received the “One-to-Watch'' Alumni Gold Key Award from Osgoode Hall Law School and the Young Practitioner Award from the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto.

He has served as the Chair of the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre, President of the Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of the Youth Challenge Fund, Member of the Toronto Police Chief’s Advisory Council, and Member of the United Way Newcomers Grant Program.

Anandasangaree was awarded both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He is married to Harini Sivalingam, and together, they have two daughters, Bairavi and Sahanah.