Executive Summary

Naturalized Tamil-Canadian Gary Anandasangaree in May 2025 assumed his current role as Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, making him the cabinet lead for the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and Correctional Service Canada (CSC). Consequently, intelligence modernisation and oversight response will likely dominate Anandasangaree’s near-term portfolio, and his ability to deliver will likely hinge on resolving “plumbing” problems in lawful access, privacy, and oversight compliance, and inter-agency data fusion. Moreover, is legal background positions him to frame security measures with civil-liberties assurances, although his detractors will likely continue to highlight reputational issues (with an unknown effect on his ability to execute his duties). 

Profile Background

• Anandasangaree was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in 1973. He arrived in Canada in 1983 as a refugee amid anti-Tamil violence historically known as “Black July.” He is the son of Sri Lankan politician V. Anandasangaree, a vocal critic of violence and a supporter of federalism as a solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. Anandasangaree is married and has two children. [source, source]
• He holds a BA from Carleton University, a LLB from Osgoode Hall, The Law Society of Ontario admitted him to the Bar in 2006. In addition, he has practiced as an international human-rights lawyer before the election. [source, source]
• He’s been a Liberal MP for Scarborough—Rouge Park since 2015, with multiple re-elections and cabinet roles demonstrating a strong standing within the party. Prime Minister Trudeau appointed him Minister of Public Safety on 13 May 2025. He previously served as Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations, and a cabinet reshuffle briefly made him Minister of Justice/Attorney General (March–May 2025). Notably, this trajectory signals portfolio confidence and cabinet portability.[source, source, source, source]
• Elected in 2015, Anandasangaree has served as parliamentary secretary to the ministers of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, Crown-Indigenous Relations, and Justice. Years later, Trudeau brought him into cabinet in 2023 as Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations, where he advanced reconciliation by introducing legislation such as the National Council for Reconciliation Act. Subsequently, he collaborated with UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) implementation reporting (annual progress updates under the UN Declaration Act). [source, source, source, source]

Network Ties

• He endures a long-standing association with Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, representing that body at the UN Human Rights Council before entering cabinet. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service. [source, source, source]
• He is a Tamil-Canadian civil society leader and a prominent figure in diaspora engagement. Accordingly, biographical materials and community coverage emphasize his Tamil heritage and advocacy. [source, source]

Accomplishments and Policies as Public Safety Minister

• The Canadian Public Safety Ministry has banned more than 2,500 models of assault-style firearms since May 2020. Building on that, under Anandasangaree, the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) was developed to provide compensation for eligible businesses and individuals who own these prohibited firearms and devices and participate in the program. Specifically, the Ministry of Public Safety launched the pilot program on 23 Sept 2025, and commenced in Nova Scotia (Cape Breton), with a national declaration phase in the fall of 2025 and collection/compensation in 2026. [source, source]
• Separately, Anandasangaree introduced Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, to strengthen immigration and border security. Aimed at equipping law enforcement agencies to combat transnational organized crime, stop the flow of illegal fentanyl, crack down on money laundering, dismantle criminal networks, and improve the integrity of our immigration system. Moreover, Anandasangaree announced the hiring of 1,000 new CBSA officers, part of the government’s efforts to crack down on illicit activities at the Canada-U.S. border. The measure is expected to cost approximately $620 million over five years. [source, source, source]
• Meanwhile, communications cadence on auto theft, along with border and cyber capabilities, indicates portfolio drive and inter-agency coordination. [source, source, source, source]

Controversies & Scrutiny

• As an MP, Anandasangaree wrote letters in 2016 and 2023 urging CBSA to reconsider an immigration case involving a man officials deemed LTTE-affiliated; he characterized the letters as standard constituency work. [source, source]
• As a Public Safety Minister, he recused himself from matters touching the LTTE/World Tamil Movement “out of an abundance of caution,” to avoid perceived conflicts; this was stated in QP/press. [source]
• Additionally, media reports indicated that his phone number appeared in a 2006 RCMP World Tamil Movement (WTM) case-file list (pre-political career); there is no allegation of wrongdoing or police contact [source, source]
• A leaked audio on 22 September 2025 captured him questioning the enforceability and the political drivers of the firearms buyback program. Nonetheless, he immediately reaffirmed his commitment to the program and later called the remarks a “misguided attempt at humour.” [source, source]
• Furthermore, in a Public Safety committee appearance in early October 2025, Anandasangaree acknowledged he has not met with any congregations from the ~123 churches in Canada that have been burned or vandalized in recent years. [source, source]

Role & Mandate as Canada’s Intelligence Overseer

As Minister of Public Safety, Anandasangaree is the political head responsible to Parliament for policy direction and accountability across CSIS (domestic intelligence & security screening), RCMP (national-security enforcement and federal policing), CBSA (border enforcement & intelligence), and CSC/Parole (corrections). The minister frames policy, sets priorities, appears at committees, and responds to National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) and National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) findings. [source, source, source, source]

Intelligence Priorities & Modernisation 2025-2026

In his new role, Anandasangaree will be forced to tackle several initiatives that are already underway, some of which he has already gone on record about:

Advancing Counter-Foreign Interference (Bill C-70 implementation):

In an interview with CBC News, Anandasangaree said fighting transnational repression and foreign interference in Canada “is an utmost priority of the prime minister.” Accordingly, Canada’s first foreign interference watchdog and a new foreign agent registry will be launched and named this year. [source]

Amendments to the CSIS Act address “urgent gaps” in a tech-driven threat environment, including modernized collection/retention/querying, clarified s.16 foreign-intelligence scope, enhanced disclosure authorities (including to non-GC entities with safeguards), and complementary changes to SOIA/Criminal Code/Canada Evidence Act. Notably, Royal Assent was 20 June 2024; while core CSIS amendments were effective on assent (other parts staggered). [source, source, source]

Border security & intelligence integration (Bill C-2 + Border Plan):

The border package ties legislation to intelligence-led interdiction. Specifically, it includes a $200M investment for Public Safety & CSE to gather/share intelligence on transnational organized crime and fentanyl, alongside a Joint Operational Intelligence Cell (JOIC) to fuse cross-border targeting. Together, the bill details, charter statement, and the plan explain the approach. [source, source, source, source, source]

Interception & lawful access: NSICOP’s Special Report on Lawful Access to Communications (15 Sept 2025) sets out Canada’s lawful-access challenges (encryption/OTT, operational vs. privacy balance), along with issuing findings/recommendations that require ministerial policy responses. Consequently, the press note confirms that the government response is expected. [source]

Oversight ecosystem: NSICOP operates under statute to review national-security/intelligence activities and issue reports to the PM and ministers. NSIRA conducts legality, necessity, and proportionality reviews across the community, where the minister responds to findings. [source, source, source, source]

Departmental planning: The 2025–26 Public Safety Departmental Plan sets priorities in national security policy and legislation, cyber resilience, and emergency management, providing the strategic frame for guidance to agencies such as CSIS, RCMP, CBSA, CSC, as well as implementation of C-70, the Border Plan, and oversight-driven improvements. (TBS listing + full PS plan.) [source, source]

Cyber Threats: The National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025–2026 outlines the evolving environment ministers must account for when aligning CSIS/CSE/RCMP/CBSA policies and capabilities. In turn, this informs portfolio posture on cyber resilience and response. [source, source]