Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled his cabinet Wednesday in an attempt to put a new face on his minority government that has been plagued by issues recently.
The cabinet shuffle comes at a time when a July Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News suggested 37 per cent of Canadians said they would vote for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party if an election were held right now – compared to 32 per cent of Canadians siding with the Liberals.
Trudeau brought seven new MPs into his cabinet, kept eight in their current jobs and shuffled 23 into either new roles, or added additional duties to their current portfolios.
“This is a positive step in a moment of consequential impact in the world and in the country,” the prime minister told reporters outside Rideau Hall.
“We know times are challenging, but this is the team that is going to be able to continue the hard work, rolling up their sleeves and delivering for Canadians from coast to coast to coast as we build a brighter and ambitious future for all Canadians.”
Here’s a look at Trudeau’s new cabinet.
Who’s in
The new Liberal MPs entering cabinet are Jenna Sudds, Rechie Valdez, Ya’ara Saks, Arif Virani, Gary Anandasangaree, Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Terry Beech.
Sudds, MP for Kanata—Carleton, is now minister of families, children and social development, taking over the portfolio from Karina Gould.
Valdez — the first Filipina Canadian to be elected as MP and representing Mississauga—Streetsville — becomes minister of small business, which was of the one files under International Trade Minister Mary Ng.
York Centre MP Saks becomes minster of mental health and addictions and associate minister of health.
Anandasangaree, MP Scarborough—Rouge Park, is now minister of Crown-Indigenous relations. He also becomes the first Sri Lankan Tamil to become a Canadian government minister.
Beech, MP for Burnaby North—Seymour, becomes minister of citizens’ services.
Martinez Ferrada, MP for Hochelaga, is now minister of tourism and minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the regions of Quebec.
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Virani, MP for Parkdale—High Park, becomes justice minister and Canada’s attorney general.
Who’s out
Seven cabinet ministers were dropped from their roles.
Former justice minister David Lametti, former Treasury Board president Mona Fortier and former public safety minister Marco Mendicino were some of the high-profile ministers who were shuffled out.
Mendicino, who has been under fire for months over his office’s handling of the transfer of notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo, confirmed his departure on Twitter Wednesday. He said he intends to remain MP for Eglinton—Lawrence “for the remainder of this mandate, and into the next election.”
Fortier was responsible for leading the government side of the largest public sector strike in Canadian history when 120,000 public-sector Public Service Alliance of Canada members walked off the job earlier this spring.
That job action halted everything from passport offices to immigration services, and she became the face of a contentious push to move more public servants back to the office after pandemic remote work measures.
In a Twitter post Wednesday, Fortier said she intends to seek re-election as MP for Ottawa-Vanier. Lametti, MP for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, did not declare his intentions for re-election in a statement Wednesday.
Ex-transport minister Omar Alghabra, former procurement minister Helena Jaczek and former fisheries, oceans and coast guard minister Joyce Murray all announced Tuesday they would not be seeking re-election.
Former mental health and addictions minister Carolyn Bennett announced her plans not to run again on Monday.
Who’s remaining
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Industry Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, Gender Equality Minister Marci Ien, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal and Filomena Tassi, minister for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, will remain in their current jobs.
The remaining MPs in Trudeau’s cabinet either have new jobs altogether, or additions to their previous roles.
Former national defence minister and Oakville MP Anita Anand now becomes president of the Treasury Board.
Scarborough Southwest MP Bill Blair, formerly emergency preparedness minister, now becomes national defence minister.
Gould, MP for Burlington and former families minister, becomes leader of the government in the House of Commons.
Ajax MP Mark Holland, former leader of the government in the House of Commons, becomes health minister.
Former health minister Jean-Yves Duclos, MP for Quebec, is now public services and procurement minister.
Beauséjour MP Dominic LeBlanc is now minister of public safety, democratic institutions and intergovernmental affairs.
Sean Fraser, Central Nova MP and former immigration minister, becomes housing minister.
His predecessor, York South—Weston MP Ahmed Hussen, is now minister of international development – taking over the role from Vancouver South MP Harjit Sajjan, who is now president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister of emergency preparedness and Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada.
Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs MP Marc Miller, former Crown-Indigenous relations minister, is now immigration minister.
Markham—Thornhill MP Mary Ng becomes minister of export promotion, international trade and economic development.
Jonathan Wilkinson, MP for North Vancouver, is now minister of energy and natural resources.
Compton—Stanstead MP Marie-Claude Bibeau, former minister of agriculture and agri-food, becomes minister of national revenue. Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay, former veterans affairs minister, is now agriculture minister.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe MP, former minister of official languages, becomes veterans affairs minister and associate national defence minister.
Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault, former tourism minister, now becomes minister of employment, workforce development and official languages.
Delta MP Carla Qualtrough, former employment minister, is now minister of sport and physical activity, taking over the role from Brome—Missisquoi MP Pascale St-Onge, who becomes heritage minister.
Her predecessor, Honoré-Mercier MP Pablo Rodriguez, is now minister of transport and will remain Quebec lieutenant.
Long Range Mountains MP Gudie Hutchings is now minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, in addition to remaining minister of rural economic development.
Brampton West MP Kamal Khera, former seniors minister, becomes minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities.
St. John’s South—Mount Pearl MP Seamus O’Regan will take over the seniors portfolio, in addition to remaining minister of labour.
Finally, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine MP Diane Lebouthillier, formerly national revenue minister, is now minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
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