Politics

Meet the new cabinet

A quick look at the veterans as well as some fresh faces that will be calling the shots in Canada’s newly sworn in minority government

Published November 20, 2019

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled a new cabinet that's larger than before, elevates Chrystia Freeland to second-in-command status and puts challenging portfolios like climate and foreign policy into new hands. Why? Because it's 2019. The Liberals were reduced to minority status in October's election; some veteran ministers are gone because they quit before the election or lost their seats after it; and with the Liberals shut out of Alberta and Saskatchewan, the new cabinet has hard work ahead to heal a divided Confederation.

Get caught up below on the most important posts and the regional breakdown, or jump straight to the full list of ministers.

Key titles

Breakdown by region, size and gender

The highest-profile Prairie Liberal to survive October's election was Jim Carr of Manitoba, but he isn't in the new cabinet: He's got a separate job as special representative to the Prairies. Another Manitoban MP, Dan Vandal, is stepping up as the new Minister of Northern Affairs. Meanwhile, others with western backgrounds have gotten promotions. Ms. Freeland, the new Deputy Prime Minister and Intergovernmental Affairs chief, represents a Toronto riding but was born and raised in Alberta. The new Environment Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, grew up in Saskatoon and advised Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow before eventually relocating to Vancouver, where his riding is.

Quebec Liberals have 11 seats at the cabinet table, and new House Leader Pablo Rodriguez becomes the new Quebec lieutenant. His job is one of the most challenging of all in a minority Parliament: The House Leader is in charge of negotiating with opposition parties to make sure bills are passed, so on wedge issues between the parties like Trans Mountain or pharmacare, he'll be the government's peacemaker.

British Columbia
4
Prairies
1
With the defeat of two ministers in their ridings the liberals are left with no ministers representing Alberta or Saskatchewan
Ontario
17
The majority of female ministers are in Ontario
Quebec
11
Atlantic
4
Ministers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I and Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories
0
There hasn't been a minister in place from one of the territories since 2016

Mr. Trudeau's cabinet now has 37 ministers, up from 31 in 2015. That's not out of line with the size of other modern federal cabinets, and is still smaller than the 40-member team Stephen Harper had in his second term.

Size of ministries 1867 - 2019

1 bar per cabinet shuffle

0

10

20

30

40

J. Trudeau

LIB

2015-2019

S. Harper

CON

2006-2015

Harper and Mulroney are

tied for largest cabinets with 40 ministers

P. Martin

LIB

2003-2006

J. Chrétien

1993-2003

K. Campbell

PC

1993

B. Mulroney

1984-1993

J.N. Turner

1984

P. Trudeau

LIB

1980-1984

CON

J. Clark

P. Trudeau

1968-1979

L.B. Pearson

1964-1968

PC

J. Diefenbaker

1957-1963

L. St. Laurent

LIB

1948-1957

W.L.M. King

1935-1948

R.B. Bennett

CON

1930-1935

LIB

W.L.M. King

1921-1930

A. Meighen

CON

R.L. Borden

1911-1920

W. Laurier

LIB

1896-1911

C. Tupper

CON

M. Bowell

Thompson

Abbott

LIB

J.A. Macdonald

1878-1891

A. Mackenzie

CON

1873-1878

J.A. Macdonald

1867-1973

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Parliament of Canada

Size of ministries 1867 - 2019

1 bar per cabinet shuffle

J. Trudeau

0

10

20

30

40

2015-2019

LIB

S. Harper

2006-2015

CON

Harper and Mulroney are

tied for largest cabinets with 40 ministers

P. Martin

2003-2006

LIB

J. Chrétien

1993-2003

K. Campbell

PC

1993

B. Mulroney

1984-1993

J.N. Turner

1984

P. Trudeau

LIB

1980-1984

J. Clark

CON

1979-1980

P. Trudeau

1986-1979

L.B. Pearson

1963-1968

J. Diefenbaker

PC

1957-1963

L. St. Laurent

LIB

1948-1957

W.L.M. King

1935-1948

R.B. Bennett

CON

1930-1935

W.L.M. King

LIB

1921-1930

A. Meighen

CON

R.L. Borden

1911-1920

W. Laurier

1896-1911

LIB

C. Tupper

CON

M. Bowell

Thompson

Abbott

J.A. Macdonald

LIB

1878-1891

A. Mackenzie

CON

1874-1878

J.A. Macdonald

1867-1873

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Parliament of Canada

Size of ministries 1867 - 2019

1 bar per cabinet shuffle

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

J. Trudeau

LIB

2015-2019

S. Harper

CON

2006-2015

Harper and Mulroney are

tied for largest cabinets with 40 ministers

P. Martin

LIB

2003-2006

J. Chrétien

1993-2003

K. Campbell

PC

1993

B. Mulroney

1984-1993

J.N. Turner

1984

P. Trudeau

LIB

1980-1984

CON

J. Clark

1979-1980

P. Trudeau

1968-1979

L.B. Pearson

1963-1968

PC

J. Diefenbaker

1957-1963

L. St. Laurent

LIB

1948-1957

W.L.M. King

1935-1948

R.B. Bennett

CON

1930-1935

LIB

W.L.M. King

1921-1930

A. Meighen

CON

R.L. Borden

1911-1920

W. Laurier

LIB

1896-1911

C. Tupper

CON

M. Bowell

Thompson

Abbott

LIB

J.A. Macdonald

1878-1891

A. Mackenzie

CON

1874-1878

J.A. Macdonald

1867-1873

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Parliament of Canada

As expected, the cabinet is gender-balanced, like the lineups Mr. Trudeau had in his first government.

Female ministers: 18
Male ministers: 19

Prior to 2015, there had always been a disproportionate number of male ministers making up the various governments cabinets.

Gender balance of the final cabinet for

each ministry

Female

Male

29th (J. Trudeau)

18

19

28th (S. Harper)

12

27

9

27th (P. Martin)

28

26th (J. Chrétien)

9

29

21

25th (K. Campbell)

4

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Parliament of Canada

Gender balance of the final cabinet for

each ministry

Female

Male

29th (J. Trudeau)

18

19

28th (S. Harper)

12

27

9

27th (P. Martin)

28

26th (J. Chrétien)

9

29

21

25th (K. Campbell)

4

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Parliament of Canada

Gender balance of the final cabinet for each ministry

Female

Male

29th (J. Trudeau)

18

19

28th (S. Harper)

12

27

9

27th (P. Martin)

28

26th (J. Chrétien)

9

29

21

25th (K. Campbell)

4

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: Parliament of Canada

The full list of current ministers

This cabinet tweaks several portfolios and and creates some new ones – former house leader Bardish Chagger, for instance, has a Diversity and Inclusion and Youth post – but the biggest change is the restoration of an old job: The deputy prime minister. Mr. Harper got rid of that job in his lean cabinet of 2006, also neatly sidestepping internal party drama between old Progressive Conservatives and a Quebec wing who each reportedly wanted the post. Now, Ms. Freeland's expanded role makes her Mr. Trudeau's top lieutenant and the point person for dealing with provinces and territories.

Compiled by Globe Staff

File photos: Adrian Wylde, Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

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