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Five things we noticed at the cabinet shuffle

James Moore and his wife Courtney Payne stop with their child, Spencer, as they arrive for a cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on July 15, 2013. Moore was sworn in as minister of industry. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

1. Babies

Three ministers brought their newborns to Rideau Hall for the cabinet shuffle ceremony – Industry Minister James Moore, Justice Minister Peter MacKay and Greg Rickford, Minister of State for Science and Technology. And we can confirm at least one of them was in a tie.

Pierre Poilievre, left, and John Baird arrive arrive for a federal cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Monday, July 15, 2013. Poilievre was sworn in as minister of state for democratic reform, while Baird remains minister of foreign affairs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick.

2. BYOB (Bring your own Bible)

One cabinet minister brought his own bible to the swearing-in: Pierre Poilievre, minister of state for democratic reform.

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3. Bernard Valcourt needs to not pronounce his portfolio like that

While getting sworn in at Rideau Hall, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Valcourt pronounced his file “abortion-al affairs.” Don’t go there – the prime minister vowed not to reopen the debate.


4. Peter MacKay needs glasses

The newly-minted justice minister tripped over his words at the ceremony, causing him to laugh nervously and proclaim “they made the print too small!” before reaching for his spectacles and starting over.

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5. The prime minister scoops himself

Prime Minister Stephen Harper took to Twitter to announce his new cabinet, and much of it coincided with the arrival of MPs at Rideau Hall. But sometimes he was a bit too quick on the uptake, announcing, for instance, Rona Ambrose as health minister before she even got there.

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