Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of National Revenue Marie-Claude Bibeau and Governor-General Mary Simon.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
1 of 14
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau significantly retooled his cabinet on Wednesday, changing the portfolios or adding roles to the majority of ministers, bringing in seven new faces and leaving only eight members in their current jobs.
Mr. Trudeau, in explaining the massive shakeup, promised to place a greater emphasis on the economy and housing, for the “millions of Canadians who are struggling.”
The federal government is dealing with a difficult economic picture, with prices for essentials such as food and rent continuing to rise rapidly even though the inflation rate has fallen over the past year. And the Bank of Canada’s interest-rate hikes – which are designed to slow down economic activity to cool inflation – have pushed up monthly payments for many mortgage holders, and made it more expensive for new homebuyers to borrow money.
Politically, the Liberal government has been under fire from the Conservatives on the economy and affordability crisis, with recent polls suggesting Leader Pierre Poilievre is gaining ground.
An election call is not expected soon because of the Liberals’ confidence-and-supply agreement with the New Democrats, but Liberal insiders say the cabinet shakeup is a major makeover designed to help position the party ahead of the next race. Mr. Trudeau said Wednesday he does not expect an election before fall of 2025.
During a news conference outside of Rideau Hall, he acknowledged issues, including the war in Ukraine, high food prices and the potential for a global economic slowdown while high interest rates are hitting hard, even as he defended Canada’s economic position globally.
“There are storm clouds right around the world right now in a range of very, very real ways,” Mr. Trudeau said. “The fact that Canada is better off than many countries in the world doesn’t make it any less difficult for millions of Canadians who are struggling.”
Mr. Trudeau did not change most of the significant economic ministers in cabinet, including Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
Sean Fraser, a Nova Scotia MP first elected in 2015 who held the immigration portfolio, is taking on Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. Mr. Fraser’s new file is considered a key focus for the government and an area of vulnerability in attacks from Mr. Poilievre, who has criticized the government over soaring house prices, particularly in the Toronto area and Vancouver.
Mr. Trudeau also moved Anita Anand to president of the Treasury Board, which is responsible for the government’s fiscal operations. Ms. Anand previously held the Defence file, which is being assumed by Bill Blair. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, who is responsible for the government’s climate change agenda, including carbon pricing, will remain in his role.
Shuffling the deck
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau executed a cabinet shuffle on Wednesday that left his top few ministers in their jobs, but switched things up for 23 members of the 38-person cabinet. Seven new ministers came in, while seven former ministers got bounced from cabinet. Here are the people now getting briefed up on new portfolios.
MINISTER
NEW ROLE
PREVIOUS ROLE
Anita
Anand
President of the Treasury Board
National Defence
Marie-Claude
Bibeau
National Revenue
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Bill
Blair
National Defence
Emergency Preparedness
Employment, Workforce Development
and Official Languages
Randy
Boissonnault
Tourism
Jean-Yves
Duclos
Public Services and Procurement
Health
Sean
Fraser
Housing, Infrastructure
and Communities
Immigration, Refugees
and Citizenship
Karina
Gould
Leader of the Government in the
House of Commons
Families, Children
and Social Development
Mark
Holland
Leader of the Government in the
House of Commons
Health
Ahmed
Hussen
Housing and Diversity
and Inclusion
International Development
Rural Economic Development
and Minister responsible for the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency
Rural Economic
Development
Gudie
Hutchings
Kamal
Khera
Diversity, Inclusion and Persons
with Disabilities
Seniors
Intergovernmental
Affairs, Infrastructure and
Communities
Dominic
LeBlanc
Public Safety, Democratic Institutions
and Intergovernmental Affairs
Diane
Lebouthillier
Fisheries, Oceans and
the Canadian Coast Guard
National Revenue
Lawrence
MacAulay
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Veterans Affairs
Marc
Miller
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Crown–Indigenous Relations
International Trade, Export Promotion,
Small Business and Economic
Development
Mary
Ng
Export Promotion,
International Trade and Economic
Development
Seamus
O’Regan Jr.
Labour and Seniors
Labour
Ginette Petitpas
Taylor
Veterans Affairs and
Associate Minister of National Defence
Official Languages
Employment, Workforce
Development and
Disability Inclusion
Carla
Qualtrough
Sport and Physical Activity
Pablo
Rodriguez
Transport and will continue
to serve as Quebec Lieutenant
Canadian Heritage
King’s Privy Council for Canada/Emergency
Preparedness/responsible for the Pacific
Economic Development Agency of Canada
Harjit S.
Sajjan
International Development
Pascale
St-Onge
Canadian Heritage
Sport
Jonathan
Wilkinson
Energy and Natural Resources
Natural Resources
john sopinski/THE GLOBE AND MAIl, SOURCE: government of canada
photos: the canadian press
Shuffling the deck
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau executed a cabinet shuffle on Wednesday that left his top few ministers in their jobs, but switched things up for 23 members of the 38-person cabinet. Seven new ministers came in, while seven former ministers got bounced from cabinet. Here are the people now getting briefed up on new portfolios.
MINISTER
NEW ROLE
PREVIOUS ROLE
Anita
Anand
President of the Treasury Board
National Defence
Marie-Claude
Bibeau
National Revenue
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Bill
Blair
National Defence
Emergency Preparedness
Employment, Workforce Development
and Official Languages
Randy
Boissonnault
Tourism
Jean-Yves
Duclos
Public Services and Procurement
Health
Sean
Fraser
Housing, Infrastructure
and Communities
Immigration, Refugees
and Citizenship
Karina
Gould
Leader of the Government in the
House of Commons
Families, Children
and Social Development
Mark
Holland
Leader of the Government in the
House of Commons
Health
Ahmed
Hussen
Housing and Diversity
and Inclusion
International Development
Rural Economic Development
and Minister responsible for the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency
Rural Economic
Development
Gudie
Hutchings
Kamal
Khera
Diversity, Inclusion and Persons
with Disabilities
Seniors
Intergovernmental
Affairs, Infrastructure and
Communities
Dominic
LeBlanc
Public Safety, Democratic Institutions
and Intergovernmental Affairs
Diane
Lebouthillier
Fisheries, Oceans and
the Canadian Coast Guard
National Revenue
Lawrence
MacAulay
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Veterans Affairs
Marc
Miller
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Crown–Indigenous Relations
International Trade, Export Promotion,
Small Business and Economic
Development
Mary
Ng
Export Promotion,
International Trade and Economic
Development
Seamus
O’Regan Jr.
Labour and Seniors
Labour
Ginette Petitpas
Taylor
Veterans Affairs and
Associate Minister of National Defence
Official Languages
Employment, Workforce
Development and
Disability Inclusion
Carla
Qualtrough
Sport and Physical Activity
Pablo
Rodriguez
Transport and will continue
to serve as Quebec Lieutenant
Canadian Heritage
King’s Privy Council for Canada/Emergency
Preparedness/responsible for the Pacific
Economic Development Agency of Canada
Harjit S.
Sajjan
International Development
Pascale
St-Onge
Canadian Heritage
Sport
Jonathan
Wilkinson
Energy and Natural Resources
Natural Resources
john sopinski/THE GLOBE AND MAIl, SOURCE: government of canada
photos: the canadian press
Shuffling the deck
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau executed a cabinet shuffle on Wednesday that left his top few ministers in their jobs, but switched things up for 23 members of the 38-person cabinet. Seven new ministers came in, while seven former ministers got bounced from cabinet. Here are the people now getting briefed up on new portfolios.
MINISTER
NEW ROLE
PREVIOUS ROLE
Anita
Anand
President of the Treasury Board
National Defence
Marie-Claude
Bibeau
National Revenue
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Bill
Blair
National Defence
Emergency Preparedness
Employment, Workforce Development
and Official Languages
Randy
Boissonnault
Tourism
Jean-Yves
Duclos
Public Services and Procurement
Health
Sean
Fraser
Housing, Infrastructure
and Communities
Immigration, Refugees
and Citizenship
Karina
Gould
Leader of the Government in the
House of Commons
Families, Children
and Social Development
Mark
Holland
Leader of the Government in the
House of Commons
Health
Ahmed
Hussen
Housing and Diversity
and Inclusion
International Development
Rural Economic Development
and Minister responsible for the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency
Rural Economic
Development
Gudie
Hutchings
Kamal
Khera
Diversity, Inclusion and Persons
with Disabilities
Seniors
Intergovernmental
Affairs, Infrastructure and
Communities
Dominic
LeBlanc
Public Safety, Democratic Institutions
and Intergovernmental Affairs
Diane
Lebouthillier
Fisheries, Oceans and
the Canadian Coast Guard
National Revenue
Lawrence
MacAulay
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Veterans Affairs
Marc
Miller
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Crown–Indigenous Relations
International Trade, Export Promotion,
Small Business and Economic
Development
Mary
Ng
Export Promotion,
International Trade and Economic
Development
Seamus
O’Regan Jr.
Labour and Seniors
Labour
Ginette Petitpas
Taylor
Veterans Affairs and
Associate Minister of National Defence
Official Languages
Employment, Workforce
Development and
Disability Inclusion
Carla
Qualtrough
Sport and Physical Activity
Pablo
Rodriguez
Transport and will continue
to serve as Quebec Lieutenant
Canadian Heritage
King’s Privy Council for Canada/Emergency
Preparedness/responsible for the Pacific
Economic Development Agency of Canada
Harjit S.
Sajjan
International Development
Pascale
St-Onge
Canadian Heritage
Sport
Jonathan
Wilkinson
Energy and Natural Resources
Natural Resources
john sopinski/THE GLOBE AND MAIl, SOURCE: government of canada photos: the canadian press
While many Liberals see sweeping changes made to Mr. Trudeau’s front bench as an admission that changes needed to be made, the Prime Minister did not say he is reshaping his front bench in response to internal challenges.
“People realize we are involved in challenging times, not only in this country but around the world, and bringing in fresh energy with new members and new challenges was important for our economic team,” Mr. Trudeau said.
At a news conference in Timmins, Ont., Mr. Poilievre disagreed with Mr. Trudeau’s assessment and called the scale of the cabinet shuffle an admission of failure.
“It’s funny, though, the one minister who was responsible for these failures didn’t get moved and that minister is Justin Trudeau,” Mr. Poilievre said.
The Conservative Leader also said he was glad to see Marco Mendicino shuffled out as Public Safety Minister, citing missteps by the former minister on such issues as gun control and serial killer Paul Bernardo’s move from a maximum- to medium-security prison.
Mr. Trudeau made significant adjustments in the critical files of Public Safety and Justice after removing Mr. Mendicino and David Lametti from their respective roles and from cabinet altogether.
Political veteran Dominic LeBlanc now assumes the helm of the Public Safety portfolio, which captures a number of pressing issues, including concerns about foreign interference in Canada from China. He also remains Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Democratic Institutions.
Mr. LeBlanc told reporters outside of Rideau Hall that he is continuing to work with opposition parties on setting up an inquiry into foreign interference after the departure in June of David Johnston as special rapporteur.
“I’m confident that my conversations with opposition counterparts will take an important step forward in strengthening Canada’s democracy and democratic institutions,” Mr. LeBlanc said Wednesday.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos will take over the Public Services and Procurement portfolio, a file that has stirred up criticism over the federal government’s significant increase in spending on outsourcing. He will be replaced in Health by Mark Holland, who was the government’s House Leader.
Laura D’Angelo, vice-president of national strategy and public affairs at Enterprise Canada who formerly worked in the Prime Minister’s Office, said Wednesday the cabinet shuffle is a clear signal that Mr. Trudeau and his team are ready to take on the Conservatives in the next election.
“This is a very different cabinet,” she said. “I think it looks and feels really different. They put strong communicators in roles that, frankly, the Conservatives are very strong in.”
Ms. D’Angelo also said the changes were an implicit admission that the Liberals needed change, particularly with ministers who are no longer in cabinet or shuffled out of key files.
In his cabinet shakeup, Mr. Trudeau also added seven new faces to the table, including four from the Toronto area. The biggest promotion goes to Toronto MP Arif Virani, who becomes Justice Minister and takes over from Mr. Lametti.
Mr. Virani, who previously served as Mr. Lametti’s parliamentary secretary, came to Canada as a Ugandan Asian refugee in 1972 and practised law for 15 years before entering politics in 2015. In his new role, he will be responsible for filling judicial vacancies as well as following through on the government’s reforms to the bail system – changes long called for by the country’s premiers.
Other new cabinet members include B.C.’s Terry Beech, who becomes the newly created Minister of Citizens’ Services; Mississauga MP Rechie Valdez, the first Filipino-Canadian woman to serve in cabinet, who becomes Minister of Small Business; Ottawa MP Jenna Sudds as Minister of Families, Children and Social Development; Scarborough MP Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Services; Toronto MP Ya’ara Saks as Minister of Mental Health and Addictions; and Montreal MP Soraya Martinez Ferrada as Tourism Minister.
Speaking in Yellowknife, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet shuffle does not change the Liberal track record of the last eight years in a way that improves people’s lives. Mr. Singh said the country is in a housing crisis, where people cannot find homes to call their own.
With a report by Mark Rendell in Toronto and Ian Bailey In Ottawa
Laura Stone
Kristy Kirkup