PM Trudeau names new defence, health, foreign affairs ministers 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. Gender parity has been restored, there is new emphasis on regional development agencies. Overall there are 39 members of the new cabinet.

In a swearing-in ceremony underway at Rideau Hall, the new minority Liberal cabinet is being unveiled, and it includes some new titles, including a new minister for mental health and addictions, and a minister for housing.

Gender parity has been restored following losing four female ministers after the last election, and the front bench includes new emphasis on regional development agencies. Overall there are 39 members of the new cabinet, including Trudeau, with just seven ministers retaining the same positions they previously held, and a few others holding slightly revamped titles.

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. 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 soonplay 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.