Messages of congratulations are coming in for Justin Trudeau, who was sworn in as Canada's 23rd prime minister on Wednesday.

Trudeau and his 30-member cabinet took their oaths of office at a ceremony on a sunny morning at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

After the cabinet was unveiled, it became apparent that the prime minister kept his promise for a gender-balanced cabinet. Of the 30 newly-appointed ministers, 15 are women and 15 are men.

As well, the cabinet is highly diverse, with ministers representing various ethnic backgrounds, age groups, and levels of work experience. As well, the cabinet has members representing every single Canadian province, as well as the North.

Canadians and non-Canadians alike took note, and offered praise and congratulations to the faces of the new government.

 

Fellow politicians, and some of his opponents, also offered their congratulations to Trudeau:


Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde congratulated Trudeau and the cabinet, including newly-appointed ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Hunter Tootoo, who are both aboriginals.

"Today marks an important opportunity to embark on a new era of reconciliation and partnership to close the gap in the quality of life between First Nations people and Canadians,” Bellegarde said in a statement.

"I look forward to working with the new federal government in the spirit of trust, respect and a renewed nation to nation relationship."

Bellegarde also welcomed Carolyn Bennett, who was appointed as the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, and applauded the use of the word “indigenous” in the portfolio, which is the preferred and accepted term in Canada, he said.