Wednesday July 26, 2023 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC [Updated 8 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today’s federal Cabinet shuffle was numerically significant and amply dressed with the energy of being in a pre-election period. But it had an understated tone.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in his third term, which politically-speaking makes his government seem a bit long in the tooth. The Liberals have formed government since 2015, and Trudeau himself has been Liberal Party of Canada leader since 2013.
Trudeau’s goal in 2013 was to build a national movement of progressive Canadians, aiming to do that within the established framework of the corporate elite. By comparison the NDP are far more progressive but together in the last two terms (and this third term in particular) the combination of policy influence from the NDP has helped Trudeau fortify the Liberal brand while also serving the progressive agenda.
While the freshness of the Trudeau Liberal brand has been shaved smooth by eight years of the rough and tumble of politics and the hard work of governance, bringing forth the strength of maturity of the government style can still work in the Liberals’ favour heading into the next election. Injecting some youthful new faces at the Cabinet table this summer could work in the Liberals political favour.
Meanwhile there are hopefully (for the sake of Canadians who hope for political stability) still two more years of the minority Liberals being propped up by the rigorous policy influences of the NDP. Neither Trudeau nor NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh seem in any way eager to activate an election before the stated 2025 target; the Supply and Confidence Agreement between the Liberals and the NDP currently runs until June 2025 and the next federal election is currently scheduled for October 20, 2025.
The NDP can be rightfully pleased with the work they’ve done on behalf of working and low-income Canadians (including CERB and the GST/grocery-rebate credits, and the dental plan for children and soon also for seniors). They are likely appreciating their current degree of influence on behalf of regular Canadians, and two more years allows for further progress in that direction.
Cabinet by the numbers:
Today’s Cabinet shuffle in Ottawa today saw the total number of ministers stay the same (i.e. 38 plus the prime minister, for a total of 39). The Cabinet also remains gender-balanced with 19 men and 19 women in those top posts.
But of the 38 appointed posts, 30 of them are new faces or previous ministers in new portfolios. So it’s really more than a shuffle, it’s a fairly rigorous makeover (not a cosmetic one as one NDP commentator said during a national news show today), embedded with a lot of inward-looking and outward-facing political strategy.
Seven ministers are MPs who are brand new to that level of responsibility, most of whom are not household names at the national level. But this summer 2023 timing gives them time to raise their profile as all their portfolios are areas that directly engage Canadians in everyday ways:
- Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
- Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens’ Services
- Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism, Minister for Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
- Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
- Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
- Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business
- Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Trudeau called the new Cabinet “the team that’s going to be focused on addressing immediate challenges and building a better future for everyone”, as stated in a Tweet (X) before the formal proceedings got rolling this morning.
Political timing:
This Cabinet remake comes ahead of the government’s Cabinet summer retreat, set for Charlottetown August 21 to 23. That will be a planning exercise of how to take the last lap of the current 44th Parliament through the next two years.
Newcomers are now in fairly critical portfolios like Crown-Indigenous Relations (taking on the responsibility of reconciliation) and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Practicalities in action:
MPs who didn’t emerge in the new Cabinet included several who aren’t planning to run again in the next federal election. That includes Omar Alghabra (who’s been up against some unbeatable odds in the Transportation role) and Carolyn Bennett (who has served long and well in many significant roles but is probably eyeing retirement).
Others who got dropped were David Lametti, Helena Jaczek, and Joyce Murray, for a range of reasons — there were no major fails but neither were there any stellar moments.
The quiet departure of Mendicino:
The quiet elephant in the room of this entire Cabinet remake today was no sign or mention of Marco Mendicino. Major incidents under his watch in Public Safety hobbled along badly: trucker’s convoy in Ottawa, foreign interference, and lately the awkward transfer of a major criminal from maximum to medium security.
He seemed unable to dig deep in those situations, almost preferring to let the situations play out without intervention. Some deep political quagmires have resulted for Trudeau from those three weak efforts.
Meeting the housing challenge:
One of the most significant challenges in Canada right now is the serious shortage of housing, which is now under Sean Fraser as Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
He is also fairly youthful and an effective communicator — great Liberal leadership material going forward. He did well in the Immigration portfolio prior to this new appointment, keeping the heat off any particular difficult issues that might have blown up in the government’s face.
One of the most significant challenges in Canada is the housing crisis, now under Fraser’s watch. Maybe it’s coming late to the game but this appointment shows how Trudeau might finally more smoothly align federal/provincial/municipal partnerships.
Personable and sharp-witted, Fraser will likely do a good job corralling the provincial premiers and keeping any provincial or territorial squabbles out of the limelight ahead of the next federal election.
Indigenous file:
Marc Miller arguably did a good job handling the Indigenous issues file in the past few years; he moved each issue forward to the benefit of both government and Indigenous communities. In many ways, the portfolio is a thankless one, with many miles still to go toward full reconciliation. He seems to have earned his stripes as a strong pick for Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Gary Anandasangaree as the new Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister is an interesting choice. He’s a human rights lawyer but the cultural cross-over including his urban riding roots might not work with the target audience.
Puzzling choices:
Some choices are questionable, such as the new Fisheries and Oceans Minister who cannot communicate very well in English — that could be alienating in the east coast and west coast fishing industry sectors.
As well, Kamal Khera’s appointment to Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities seems a personality mismatch, as was her previous role as the Seniors minister. Her life in politics seems driven by social connections more than a gut level drive to serve average Canadians.
Pablo Rodriguez was doing a good job in the Canadian Heritage ministry… he had the personal verve to stand up to the big tech giants around the C-18 issue. But perhaps Trudeau did him a favour by shifting him away from that heat which could have been career-damaging. The Transportation ministry seems perfunctory for the flamboyant Rodriguez, but perhaps it’s an opportunity for him to chill a bit ahead of the next election.
No one seems to have any ideas as to why David Lametti has been moved out of Cabinet. His work as the Justice Minister was competent and he didn’t seem to rub anyone the wrong way. In his statement posted in social media today, Lametti expressed pride in having grappled with wrongful conviction issues, reconciliation, and managing to get the ban conversion therapy passed in the House of Commons. Perhaps it’s the bail reform issue that plagued his continuation.
Putting a junior minister (Arif Virani) directly into the Justice file and role as Attorney General seems a bit risky. Perhaps that is one of the more obvious clues that Trudeau might be in a mood to ‘try new things’, feeling he has wiggle room ahead of the next election.
Today many political pundits have been scratching their heads over the shift of Anita Anand into Treasury Board, with some media even suggesting that it’s a demotion. But it looks more like a choice of confidence on Trudeau’s part, putting one of his strongest performers into a role that controls the purse strings. A lot of funds will hopefully be going out the door for federal support in housing and infrastructure; having a careful attentive hand at the wheel for that financial aspect of government is not a bad thing.
Lawrence MacAulay is a quiet choice for Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. First elected in 1988 and located on the east coast, it might be a stretch for all of Canada’s agriculture sector to connect with him in the modern age of food challenges and food-tech advancements. On Twitter (X) today, NDP Critic for Agriculture and Agri-Food Alistair MacGregor (who has done solid work on the Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee in the past few years), thanked Marie-Claude Bibeau for her work on the Agriculture file over the last several years, and welcomed MacAulay ‘back’ to the role. Seems like Trudeau may have run out of ideas for agriculture (or just assumes it will putter along) which is arguably an essential sector in need of modernizing and serious attention — not just in terms of feeding people but as a major contributor to the Canadian economy.
Cabinet changes at July 26, 2023:
Several Cabinet ministers held firm in their roles including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland; International Affairs Minister Melanie Joly; Steven Gilbeault as Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Patty Hajdu as Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario; and François-Philippe Champagne as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
Here is the list of new appointments or changes in roles, in the order as announced today at the Rideau Hall ceremony in Ottawa:
- The new Public Safety Minister is Dominic LeBlanc (replacing Marco Mendicino who is no longer in Cabinet).
- Public Services and Procurement is now headed by Jean-Yves Duclos (former Health Minister).
- Marie-Claude Bibeau is now Minister of National Revenue (formerly Minister of Agriculture).
- The new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard is Diane Lebouthillier.
- Harjit Sajjan has been appointed as Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister Responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (a puzzling choice for someone who will need to rally public support in any serious emergency, as his communications style seems less connected with people than it could be).
- Carla Qualtrough is now Minister of Sport and Physical Activity (formerly handling employment and disabilities).
- Karina Gould is now Leader of the Government and the House of Commons (though she’s soon going on maternity leave).
- Amhed Hussain is now Minister of International Development (he formerly headed up the housing ministry which obviously didn’t meet the mark for the current challenges of Canadian society).
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor is now Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.
- Seamus o’Regan Jr is now Minister of Labour and Seniors (formerly Minister of Labour).
- Pablo Rodriguez is now Minister of Transport (formerly Culture & Heritage Minister).
- Bill Blair (formerly a career police officer) is now the Minister of National Defence.
- Mary Ng is now Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development.
- Jonathan Wilkinson is now Minister of Energy and Natural Resources (previously just Natural Resources).
- Anita Anand is now President of the Treasury Board (she handled Procurement during the pandemic, and was most recently Minister of National Defence).
- Marc Miller is now Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (after handling the Indigenous file for many years).
- Randy Boissonault is now Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.
- Sean Fraser is now Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
- Mark Holland is now Minister of Health (formerly the Liberal House Leader).
- Gudie Hutchings, Rural Economic Development
- Kamal Khera is now Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities (formerly the Seniors Minister).
- Pascale St-Onge is now Minister of Canadian Heritage (formerly Minister of Sport)
New to cabinet:
Those who are new to Cabinet are generally younger and offer some fresh momentum with young adult voters but are already well-connected in political circles:
- Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
- Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens’ Services (has served as chair of the Finance Committee)
- Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism, Minister for Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
- Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
- Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
- Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business
- Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
===== LINKS:
Government of Canada – Federal Cabinet
===== RELATED:
BC MP Terry Beech now in federal cabinet (July 26, 2023)
BC hopes for continued common ground with federal government on safe and affordable housing (July 9, 2023)
$6 million federal funds for Colwood waterfront multi-use pathway (April 17, 2023)
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends delivers socioeconomic news insights about life on the west shore of south Vancouver Island. Published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc, Island Social Trends follows in the footsteps of its genesis publications MapleLine Magazine 2008-2010, Sooke Voice News 2011-2013, and West Shore Voice News 2014-2020.
All news is posted at IslandSocialTrends.ca .
Editor Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Cert PR has steered this publication series for 15 years. In that time period she has covered SD62 news up close (board and committee level) since 2014 and as well as broader west shore news.
In Fall 2022 Ms Brooke was a candidate in the Belmont Zone of SD62, connecting with the community through extensive door-knocking and in the process heard a much different view of public education expectations than what is evident at the board table.
Mary P Brooke now reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery, having covered the COVID pandemic daily in 2020 and 2021 and broader BC news since 2017.
Ms Brooke has been nominated in 2023 for the Jack Webster Foundation’s Shelley Fralic Award for contributing to the community through journalism.
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