PM shuffles some cabinet responsibilities

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the media at the Liberal cabinet retreat in Sudbury, Ont., on Monday, Aug. 22, 2016. (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is shuffling the deck behind the scenes of his cabinet, tweaking some of the committees of ministers who strategize on priority files, and shifting responsibilities for some ministers.

Trudeau announced changes to his government's cabinet committees, including the creation of a committee on litigation management, which will be chaired by Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc. LeBlanc lost his government House leader role last week when Trudeau gave the file to Small Business and Tourism Minister Bardish Chagger, but the news release announcing the change had said LeBlanc would be taking on new responsibilities soon.

LeBlanc will also remain on the board of internal economy, the House committee that sets budgets for MPs and deals with other administrative issues. Chagger will join the board as the new government House leader.

Two other ministers are also shifting responsibilities. Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos is now in charge of bringing in Liberal commitments on employment insurance, such as parental and compassionate care, as well as commitments to expand intergovernmental agreements on skills training.

Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk, who shares the Employment and Social Development Canada department with Duclos, will continue on workforce development related to Indigenous training, post-secondary education reform and youth employment initiatives, the release from Trudeau's office said.

Trudeau shuffled a number of ministers between the committees. Most notably, he removed Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion as chair of the environment, climate change and energy cabinet committee, replacing him with Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly. Dion, who is a former environment minister and who, as Liberal leader, made the environment a major part of the party’s platform, is no longer on the committee.

Three of the committees have been renamed or merged. Two others, an ad hoc committee on defence procurement and a subcommittee on the Canada-U.S. relationship, have become full committees.