LILLEY: Anandasangaree needs to go as Public Safety Minister

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Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has to go, there are no two ways about it. You cannot serve as Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, in charge of prosecuting terrorism cases and overseeing the terror watch list, while advocating for terrorist groups.

Anandasangaree was named to this top position in the Carney government shortly after the April 28, 2025 federal election.

A month ago it was revealed that Anandasangaree would recuse himself from any decisions related to two groups of Canada’s list of banned terrorist groups, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the World Tamil Movement (WTM). Now, thanks to reporting from Global News, we have learned that in 2016 and 2023, Anandasangaree wrote in support of an immigration application for a man believed to have been a member of the Tamil Tigers or LTTE.

Anandasangaree is himself a Tamil from Sri Lanka who came to Canada at a young age. None of that excuses him from the fact that his current job requires a clear and firm line on terror issues, which Anandasangaree cannot provide.

Despite my own personal background, Carney could appoint me to this same position, and I wouldn’t have to recuse myself from files involving the Irish Republican Army or similar groups. That Anandasangaree needs to do this is problematic and has nothing to do with his ethnicity and more to do with his personal politics.

“What confidence do you have in the Public Safety Minister?” Carney was asked on Wednesday.

His answer was less than stellar.

“The Public Safety Minister has been transparent about the details of that situation, and he has my confidence,” Carney said.

First off, Anandasangaree has been less than transparent with the public on why he has to recuse himself from key parts of his job, he’s not answering questions on this and the government is being quiet.

Secondly, the reporter never should have asked Carney whether he has confidence in the minister as their first question on the matter. They should have asked for a reaction to Anandasangaree signing a letter in support of a man purportedly tied to a terror group – one that Anandasangaree needs to recuse himself from any questions on.

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In more ways than one, Minister Anandasangaree cannot currently do his job and needs to be removed.

Voters will decide if he remains their representative and quite frankly, if Carney wanted him in cabinet, there are other positions he could fill. Yet, having a Minister of Public Safety who cannot deal with issues of two banned terror groups and who has spoken up for an alleged member of another to come into Canada leaves far too many questions.

Anandasangaree needs to be removed at the earliest possible moment and if the government won’t do that, at least exclude him from much of the decision making until he is removed.

There are already rumours of a Carney cabinet shuffle in the works for this fall.

Multiple sources are saying the new PM is looking for competent people to place in cabinet rather than leave Trudeau wannabes hanging around. Among the names supposedly on the chopping block are Chrystia Freeland, Steven Guilbeault, Melanie Joly and others.

If Carney is willing to go this far with cabinet changes, then Anandasangaree has to be dispatched as well. We simply cannot have a cabinet minister in charge of the terrorism file who is beholden to any of the groups on the terror list or who has spoken out in favour of them.

That’s where we find ourselves with Minister Anandasangaree, and his time as the head of public safety needs to come to an end.