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Rapid Recap: Federal Cabinet Shuffle & Political Updates

December 23, 2024

Rapid Recap: Federal Cabinet Shuffle & Political Updates

 

December 20, 2024 – After a turbulent few months for the embattled Liberals, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled his new cabinet. This move was long overdue, as several ministers had been juggling multiple responsibilities to cover for cabinet resignations. Most urgently, following the recent resignation of Housing Minister Sean Fraser and the dramatic departure of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, the Prime Minister needed to stabilize his team before the new year. This comes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20, 2025 with a protectionist agenda.

In total, four ministers were reassigned to new positions, and eight members of Parliament (MPs) were promoted to cabinet. In the health portfolio, both Mark Holland and Ya’ara Saks retained their roles as Minister of Health and Minister of Health and Addictions respectively. Many other familiar faces remain in Trudeau’s Cabinet, including François-Philippe Champagne, Mélanie Joly, Jean-Yves Duclos, and Steven Guilbeault. Joanne Thompson, MP for St. John’s East, has become Minister of Seniors.

This cabinet shuffle focused more on practical adjustments rather than a full reset as it retained many experienced ministers and Trudeau supporters in key positions while promoting a few MPs.

Following Chrystia Freeland’s resignation, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh publicly asked Justin Trudeau to resign, but would not provide a clear answer as to whether or not his party would continue to support the government. That answer came today with a resounding no. Singh released a letter saying they no longer have confidence in this government and that they will “put forward a clear motion of non-confidence in the next sitting in the House of Commons”, regardless of party leadership.

Shortly after the announcement by Singh, the Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, wrote a letter to the Governor General asking her to speak with the Prime Minister and to “confer with him” that he should either dissolve Parliament or recall the House for a confidence vote. He has asked the NDP to do the same.

The House is currently set to return on January 27, 2025, which could mean an election early in the new year.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

  • With the knowledge that the minority Liberal Government will no longer have the support of the NDP when Parliament resumes, there is little time for the new cabinet to have any major impact on their new portfolios.

  • What will happen next is unclear, but if Parliament is prorogued it will need to resume sometime in the spring for MPs to vote on fiscal decisions and keep the lights on in government.

  • The time between the resumption of Parliament and the government’s fall will likely be very short, leaving little opportunity for any business to pass or for newly minted cabinet ministers to implement changes.

  • There is now more pressure than ever on the Prime Minister to resign. In a recent poll, 67% of respondents said Trudeau should resign and over the past week, several members of the Liberal caucus have publicly asked for Trudeau to step down as leader.

  • If the Prime Minister did decide to resign, there would need to be a leadership race at some point, which would have a tighter than normal timeline. The Liberal Party is structured so an interim leader can be appointed in the case of a resignation, followed by a national leadership convention to elect the permanent leader.

  • This situation is even more challenging for Canada and the Prime Minister given the timing, with an incoming President of the United States and the question of who should be leader during this transition.

  • With this in mind, the question of whether or not (and when) the Prime Minister should prorogue Parliament becomes even more important.

Cabinet Shuffle Details

There’s a key change to the role of Minister of Seniors. Joanne Thompson, MP for St. John’s East, has taken over the position. Steven MacKinnon, who previously managed both Labour and Seniors, is now the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour.

 

New Minister of Seniors 
Joanne Thompson, MP for St. John’s East
Joanne Thompson was elected the Member of Parliament for St. John’s East in September 2021. She is the Chair of the National Seniors Caucus and sits on the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development and the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

Thompson is a former registered nurse, and prior to becoming an elected official, she served as the Executive Director of The Gathering Place, a community health centre serving vulnerable populations in downtown St. John’s.

 

 

New

  • Joanne Thompson – MP for St. John’s East, Newfoundland and Labrador – becomes Minister of Seniors.

  • Rachel Bendayan – MP for Outremont, Quebec – becomes Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety.

  • Élisabeth Brière – MP For Sherbrooke, Quebec – becomes Minister of National Revenue.

  • Terry Duguid – MP for Winnipeg South, Manitoba – becomes Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.

  • Nathaniel Erskine-Smith – MP for Beaches—East York, Ontario – becomes Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

  • Darren Fisher – MP for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia – becomes Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.

  • David J. McGuinty – MP for Ottawa South, Ontario – becomes Minister of Public Safety.

  • Ruby Sahota – MP for Brampton North, Ontario – becomes Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Moved

  • Steven MacKinnon – MP Gatineau, Quebec – becomes Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.

  • Anita Anand – MP for Oakville, Ontario – becomes Minister of Transport and Internal Trade.

  • Gary Anandasangaree – MP for Scarborough—Rouge Park, Ontario – becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

  • Ginette Petitpas Taylor – MP for Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, New Brunswick –  becomes President of the Treasury Board.

  • Dominic LeBlanc – MP for Beauséjour, New Brunswick – becomes Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Stable

  • Mark Holland – MP for Ajax, Ontario – Minister of Health.

  • Ya’ara Saks – MP for York Centre, Ontario – Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health.

  • Bill Blair – MP for Scarborough Southwest, Ontario – stays as Minister of National Defence.

  • Rechie Valdez – MP for Mississauga—Streetsville, Ontario – becomes Minister of Small Business.

  • Mary Ng – MP for Markham—Thornhill, Ontario – Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development.

  • Jonathan Wilkinson – MP for North Vancouver, British Columbia – Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

  • Steven Guilbeault – MP for Laurier—Sainte-Marie, Quebec – Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

  • Marc Miller – MP for Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, Quebec – Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

  • Dan Vandal – MP for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, Manitoba – Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, and Minister of Northern Affairs.

  • Gudie Hutchings – MP for Long Range Mountains, Newfoundland and Labrador – Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Minister of Rural Economic Development.

  • Marci Ien – MP for Toronto Centre, Ontario – Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth.

  • Kamal Khera – MP for Brampton West, Ontario – Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities.

  • Pascale St-Onge – MP for Brome—Missisquoi, Quebec – Minister of Canadian Heritage.

  • Terry Beech – MP for Burnaby North—Seymour, British Columbia – Minister of Citizens’ Services.

  • Soraya Martinez Ferrada – MP for Hochelaga, Quebec – Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

  • Jenna Sudds – MP for Kanata—Carleton, Ontario – Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development.

  • Rechie Valdez – MP for Mississauga—Streetsville, Ontario – Minister of Small Business.

  • Arif Virani – MP for Parkdale—High Park, Ontario – Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

  • Lawrence MacAulay – MP for Cardigan, Prince Edward Island – Minister of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

  • Marie-Claude Bibeau – MP for Compton—Stanstead, Quebec – Minister of National Revenue.

  • François-Philippe Champagne – MP for Saint-Maurice—Champlain, Quebec – Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

  • Jean-Yves Duclos – MP for Québec, Quebec – Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant.

  • Patty Hajdu – MP for Thunder Bay—Superior North, Ontario – Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.

  • Ahmed Hussen – MP for York South—Weston, Ontario – Minister of International Development.

  • Mélanie Joly – MP for Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Quebec – Minister of Foreign Affairs.

  • Diane Lebouthillier – MP for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec – Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

  • Harjit S. Sajjan – MP for Vancouver South, British Columbia – President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada.