Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is undergoing a significant cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall, promoting seven rookies to key positions while dropping seven ministers and reassigning most of the cabinet roles.
The ceremony, led by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, marks one of the most consequential cabinet reconfigurations since Trudeau took office in 2015. Here are some of the major changes:
- Anita Anand becomes Treasury Board president
- Bill Blair becomes defence minister
- Dominic LeBlanc becomes public safety, democratic institutions, and intergovernmental affairs minister
- Sean Fraser becomes minister of housing, infrastructure and communities
- Pablo Rodriguez becomes transport minister and maintains the Quebec lieutenant role
- Pascale St-Onge becomes heritage minister
- Jean-Yves Duclos becomes minister of public services and procurement
- Mark Holland becomes minister of health
- Jonathan Wilkinson becomes minister of energy and maintains natural resources
- Harjit Sajjan becomes King’s Privy Council president
- Carla Qualtrough becomes minister of sport and physical activity
- Marc Miller becomes minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship
- Ahmed Hussen becomes minister of international development
- Seamus O’Regan maintains minister of labour role, but adds in responsibility for seniors
- Kamal Khera becomes minister of diversity, inclusion, and persons with disabilities
- Randy Boissonnault becomes minister of employment, workforce development, and official languages
- Karina Gould becomes leader of the government in the House of Commons
Trudeau has also made arrangements for Gould’s parental leave this winter, as she is expecting her second child. Chief Government Whip Steven MacKinnon will temporarily take over as House leader until her return, and current deputy whip Ruby Sahota will fill in for MacKinnon.
Seven ministers have been removed from the cabinet: Omar Alghabra, Joyce Murray, Helena Jaczek, Carolyn Bennett, Marco Mendicino, David Lametti, and Mona Fortier.
These departures have opened up opportunities for the prime minister to promote several backbench Liberal MPs from crucial battleground ridings in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
Among the rookies, seven MPs have secured cabinet posts:
- Scarborough-Rouge Park, Ont. MP Gary Anandasangaree, first elected in 2015 becomes minister of Crown-Indigenous relations
- Parkdale-High Park, Ont. MP Arif Virani, first elected in 2015 becomes minister of justice and attorney general
- Burnaby North-Seymour, B.C. MP Terry Beech, first elected in 2015 becomes minister of citizens; services, a new title
- Hochelaga, Que. MP Soraya Martinez Ferrada, first elected in 2019 becomes minister of tourism and is responsible for the Quebec economic development agency
- York Centre, Ont. MP Ya’ara Saks, first elected in a 2020 byelection becomes minister of mental health and addictions
- Kanata-Carleton, Ont. MP Jenna Sudds, first elected in 2021 becomes minister of families, children and social development
- Mississauga-Streetsville, Ont. MP Rechie Valdez, first elected in 2021 becomes minister of small business
Eight ministers are holding on to their current jobs:
- Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland
- Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne
- Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly
- Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault
- Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu
- Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien
- Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal, who also oversees Prairie economic development
- Minister Filomena Tassi who is responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Trudeau arrived to oversee the major federal political event of the summer, describing it as “a great day.” Liberal members arrived to a swarm of television cameras and political reporters, expressing excitement about their new roles.
The entire top tier of Trudeau’s team has been invited to the ceremony at the governor general’s residence, regardless of whether they are moving positions or not. The shuffle is expected to bring about changes in ministerial titles, portfolio responsibilities, and staffing arrangements.
According to a senior government source, Trudeau and his inner circle see this shuffle as a way to strengthen the prime minister’s economic team, particularly in areas such as housing affordability and the transition to clean energy. They aim to present a clear contrast to their main Conservative opponents in their approach and communication on these critical issues.
There has been considerable discussion about elevating high-performing individuals into key positions to present a refreshed image of the Liberal government after eight years in power, making a compelling case to the Canadian public that they are still re-electable.
While four outgoing ministers have already announced that they won’t run again, Fortier and Lametti are yet to reveal their plans after being removed from the cabinet.
In a statement shared on social media, Mendicino, who was at the center of shuffle speculation due to his handling of important files, expressed his gratitude for serving as a minister in immigration and public safety portfolios for nearly four years. He reassured his intention to continue serving for the rest of the mandate and into the next election.
The cabinet’s size remains unchanged, with 38 members—19 men and 19 women—maintaining the gender balance, excluding the prime minister.
This shakeup marks the first major change since the Liberals’ 2021 election victory, and Trudeau aims to solidify his team for the upcoming 2025 election.
Following the shuffle, the prime minister will address the media at 12:15 p.m. EDT and lead a cabinet meeting at 4 p.m. EDT with the new roster at West Block.
Now, it’s up to the newly appointed and reassigned ministers to focus on the revised priorities set by Trudeau and prepare for Parliament’s return in September.