PM Trudeau names new ministers to several key files in sizable cabinet shakeup
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has considerably shaken up his cabinet roster, naming new ministers to key portfolios including defence, health, foreign affairs, and environment, while adding in a handful of rookies as he forges ahead with a third mandate.
The 39-member cabinet was unveiled Tuesday at a swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. The prime minister’s new front bench maintains gender parity and includes a new emphasis on regional development agencies.
There are several new cabinet roles, while many other positions have been revamped to include new or different elements, with just seven ministers holding on to the same title and role they had before the ceremony.
“We have a team of familiar faces and new faces that are ready to put all their strengths, all their hard work towards delivering for Canadians in the coming years,” Trudeau told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
Addressing the sizeable renovation of his cabinet, Trudeau said it stems from the 2021 federal election outcome that saw Canadians opt to send back largely the same seat allocation as there was previously.
“One of the things we saw very clearly in this election was that Canadians are expecting big things to be done by Parliament, and by this government,” Trudeau said, citing ending the pandemic for good, building an “inclusive” economy, fighting climate change, and continuing Indigenous reconciliation as examples. “With a refreshed and reinvigorated team around me, I'm really excited about what we're going to be able to accomplish for Canadians and I know that this team is raring to go.”
Anita Anand, who led the country’s COVID-19 vaccine procurement effort, is replacing Harjit Sajjan as minister of defence in taking on the military’s sexual misconduct crisis. Sajjan is being moved to minister of international development.
“My top priority is to make sure that everyone in the Armed Forces feels safe and protected and that they have the support that they need, when they need them, and the structures in place to ensure that justice is served,” said Anand during the post-ceremony cabinet media availability.
“There isn’t a position that I’ve left where you’re fully content with it,” Sajjan said of his move.
Canada’s new procurement minister, who will quickly face pressure to ensure all contracts with pharmaceutical companies are in place for potential COVID-19 booster shots, is Filomena Tassi.
Patty Hajdu has been moved from the health file after 19 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been given a new mandate as minister of Indigenous services. Carolyn Bennett has been shuffled out of Crown-Indigenous relations, and that portfolio has been given to Marc Miller. Hajdu will soon play a role in the government deciding whether it will appeal a decision by the Federal Court to uphold two Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders requiring Ottawa to pay out billions of dollars to Indigenous children.
Speaking about the challenges ahead in his new role, Miller said that he does not have just one priority.
“This relationship started with land. The relationship has been broken because of land, land theft, and it's time to give land back. That's just the reality of it. It is easily said, it's more difficultly done... I think we've built a measure of trust that I think I can take into this department and start moving quickly on things that one, shouldn't have happened in the first place, and in order to fix them, need to move a whole heck of a lot quicker.”
Jean-Yves Duclos is the new minister of health, and Bennett has been tapped to be his associate minister of health as well as holding the new role of minister of mental health and addictions. Also taking on a new role is Ahmed Hussen, as the minister of housing, diversity and inclusion.
The public safety portfolio has been split in two, seeing Bill Blair maintain the emergency preparedness element, while Marco Mendicino takes on public safety. Replacing Mendicino as immigration, refugees and citizenship minister is cabinet newcomer from Atlantic Canada, Sean Fraser.
Among the other Liberals new to cabinet—most of whom have been MPs for years—are Mark Holland, who previously was the chief government whip but is now taking the key Government House Leader role stickhandling legislation through the minority Commons; re-elected Randy Boissonnault, Marci Ien, Helena Jaczek, Kamal Khera, Gudie Hutchings, and newly-elected Pascale St-Onge. St-Onge made history as Canada's first out lesbian in cabinet.
Bardish Chagger and veteran Liberal Marc Garneau have been shuffled out of cabinet, and stepping into the foreign affairs portfolio previously held by Garneau will be Melanie Joly.
In this senior and high-profile role, Joly will take on Canada’s international and diplomatic relationships, including with the United States and China.
In a tweet, Joly called her new appointment “a great honour.” “As the world is changing, we will be strategic in our actions. We will conduct our international affairs in a true Canadian fashion: with humility and audacity,” she said.
Jonathan Wilkinson is moving from environment to natural resources, and long-time environmental activist Steven Guilbeault is Canada’s new environment minister.
“After 30 years of fighting climate change outside of government, I am humbled and I am honoured to be given the opportunity to accelerate our fight against climate change as Canada’s new Minister of Environment and Climate Change,” Guilbeault tweeted on Tuesday.
The decision to put new faces in the foreign affairs and environment files comes just days before Trudeau’s trip to the G20 Summit in Italy and then the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland. Now, he’ll be joined by some new faces meeting their international colleagues potentially for the first time at these summits.
Moving back into the Canadian heritage role is Pablo Rodriguez, who will quickly face a few hot files, including what becomes of a controversial online content regulation proposal formerly titled Bill C-10, and promised new online harms legislation that had a contentious consultation process this summer.
Rodriguez told reporters that he “will be consulting,” but still intends to move forward the promised bills quickly.
Jim Carr, who previously was Trudeau’s special representative for the Prairies, no longer has a role in cabinet.
Asked about why he removed three ministers, Trudeau said that: “Cabinet making requires difficult choices.”
As for the speculation that Marc Garneau has a diplomatic post lined up, Trudeau refused to confirm it, saying that “there will be, of course, plenty more announcements that we'll be making over the coming weeks and months.”
In late September, Trudeau announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland would stay put and continue to be his second in command.
The ministers and ministers-designate strode up the driveway Tuesday morning, tucked under umbrellas and behind facemasks, alongside their loved ones. An orchestra played upon their arrival, and inside the ballroom where the ceremony took place, one-by-one the new cabinet were greeted by Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary May Simon as they read their oaths of office.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh held a press conference following the swearing-in event, calling for the federal cabinet to get to work “right away” on key issues, such as the future of COVID-19 aid benefits, climate change, and reconciliation.
“We want to see actions on really solving these problems, delivering real justice. That's what we're looking for,” he said.
In a statement, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole described Trudeau’s roster of mostly incumbent ministers—all but eight have held cabinet roles previously—as “inexperienced and ideologically driven individuals who represent a real risk to our economic prosperity and our national unity.”
“Today’s changes to cabinet represent just another example of the Prime Minister continuing to reward ministers who have consistently demonstrated incompetence and a lack of accountability,” said O’Toole.
Backed by his ministers, Trudeau received applause when he responded simply “yes” when asked by CTV News whether he intends on leading the Liberal Party into the next election. First, however, he has the new Parliament to navigate with this new inner circle. The 44th Parliament will kick off on Nov. 22, with a speech from the throne.
Here’s the full new roster of cabinet ministers:
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland
- Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra
- Minister of National Defence Anita Anand
- Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett
- Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau
- President of Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair
- Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance Randy Boissonnault
- Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Phillipe Champagne
- Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos
- President, Treasury Board Mona Fortier
- Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser
- Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould
- Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault
- Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario Patty Hajdu
- Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Mark Holland
- Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen
- Minister of Rural Economic Development Gudie Hutchings
- Minister of Women, Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien
- Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Helena Jaczek
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly
- Minister of Seniors Kamal Khera
- Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti
- Minister of intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities Dominic Leblanc
- Minister of National Revenue Diane Lebouthillier
- Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence Lawrence MacAulay
- Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino
- Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller
- Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Joyce Murray
- Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng
- Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr.
- Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Ginette Petitpas Taylor
- Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough
- Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez
- Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada Harjit Sajjan
- Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Pascale St-Onge
- Minister of Public Services and Procurement Filomena Tassi
- Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Dan Vandal
- Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
Local Spotlight
Fergus, Ont. man feels nickel-and-dimed for $0.05 property tax bill
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
'I'm committed': Oilers fan won't cut hair until Stanley Cup comes to Edmonton
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
'It's not my father's body!' Wrong man sent home after death on family vacation in Cuba
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
'Once is too many times': Education assistants facing rising violence in classrooms
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
What is capital gains tax? How is it going to affect the economy and the younger generations?
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Cat found at Pearson airport 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.