Context
On Wednesday July 26, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a cabinet reshuffle involving a number of changes. While several key players remain in place, the face of the federal government has changed considerably, with the arrival of several new recruits and the relocation of many experienced ministers.
Highlights
Ministers who remain in place
Only eight ministers in the Trudeau government retain the same responsibilities.
This is the case for a number of Liberal tenors, including Steven Guilbeault (Environment), Mélanie Joly (Foreign Affairs), François-Philippe Champagne (Industry) and Chrystia Freeland (Finance).
Patty Hajdu (Aboriginal Services), Marci Ien (Women, Gender Equality and Youth), Filomena Tassi (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) and Dan Vandal (Northern Affairs) also retain their respective positions.
Ministers on the move
Twenty-three ministers remain in government, but are given new responsibilities.
This is notably the case for Pablo Rodriguez, who is moving to Transport. Pascale St-Onge will take over at Canadian Heritage. Diane Lebouthiller is leaving National Revenue to take the helm at Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard.
Bill Blair moves to National Defence. His predecessor Anita Anand takes the reins of Treasury Board, while Randy Boissonnault and Dominic Leblanc inherit Employment and Public Safety respectively.
Marie-Claude Bibeau moves to National Revenue, Jean-Yves Duclos to Public Services and Procurement, Sean Fraser to Housing, Mark Holland to Health, Lawrence McAulay to Agriculture, Marc Miller to Immigration, and Jonathan Wilkinson to Energy and Natural Resources.
Ministers ousted
Seven ministers are ejected from the Trudeau government.
These include David Lametti, Marco Mendicino, Mona Fortier, Carolyn Bennett, Omar Alghabra, Joyce Murray and Helena Jaczek.
The newcomers
Finally, seven new ministers, listed below, join the Cabinet.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Economic Development Agency of Canada for Quebec.
Gary Anandasangaree, Crown-Aboriginal Relations.
Terry Beech, Citizen Services.
Ya'ara Saks, Mental health and Addictions.
Jenna Sudds, Family, Children and Social Development.
Rechie Valdez, Small Business.
Arif Virani, Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Preliminary comments
The reshuffle announced today by Justin Trudeau is the biggest since he came to power just over eight years ago. The cabinet remains identical in size to its predecessor, and gender parity has been maintained. However, several ministers have been called upon to take on new challenges, and more than half a dozen have been dismissed to make way for new faces.
Ministers who did not intend to stand for re-election are being replaced by new figures who will benefit from increased visibility. The reshuffle announced today includes a few surprises, including the transfer of Pablo Rodriguez, in the midst of a tug-of-war with Google and Meta, and that of Anita Anand, who made a name for herself at National Defense.
With this reshuffle, the Prime Minister wishes above all to revitalize his team, which seems to be showing signs of running out of steam. Indeed, a majority of polls now place the Conservative Party of Canada at the top of voting intentions, at a time when rumours of a federal election in 2024 are multiplying.
The Prime Minister aims to inject change at a time when a growing number of Canadians are concerned about the economy and purchasing power, while introducing new faces who will, he hopes, be better able to promote his government's successes.
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