On Friday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a significant cabinet shuffle after a tumultuous week and before the holiday break. The Prime Minister announced eight new members of cabinet, while four current members saw their portfolios change.
In putting together today’s cabinet shuffle, the Prime Minister faced the urgent challenge of trying to re-establish authority over his caucus and government, after a week of unprecedented political turmoil. The shocking and unexpected resignation of Chrystia Freeland as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister on Monday morning, combined with her detailed and accusatory letter to the Prime Minister, have destabilized the Trudeau government unlike anything we have seen in its nine years in office.
Since Monday, the Prime Minister has been unavailable to media and has not publicly addressed the situation. While he has spoken at two Liberal Party functions, he has cancelled his usual round of year-end interviews with national media outlets. Today’s cabinet shuffle had been expected for some weeks but became urgent and imperative with several ministers handling double duty in demanding portfolios:
- Before today, newly appointed Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc held three jobs as he remained the holder of the Public Safety and Intergovernmental Affairs portfolios in addition to Finance, an enormous workload for one minister.
- Anita Anand was serving as both President of the Treasury Board and Transport minister, following the resignation of former Transport minister Pablo Rodriguez on September 19th.
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor was the employment minister, the Minister for Official Languages and the Veterans’ Affairs minister, following Randy Boissonault’s exit from cabinet.
- Additionally, a growing number of ministers have signalled over the past 3-months that they would not run in the next election, which originally sparked the need for a shuffle.
Minister Freeland’s resignation comes at a difficult time for the government. President-elect Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs on everything Canada exports to the United States requires the engaged 24/7 leadership and management of the Prime Minister and his team between now and the Inauguration on January 20, 2025, and following that date as well. In the PM’s absence this week, Premiers Doug Ford and Danielle Smith have been speaking out and conducting interviews on U.S. media. This has raised important questions as to who speaks for Canada.
Freeland’s abrupt resignation, and the role the Prime Minister played in it, have rekindled calls from the Liberal caucus for him to step aside. According to media reports, a growing numbers of caucus members want him to resign and make way for another leader whom they hope can positively affect the public’s impression of the Liberal Party before the next election. As a result, the Prime Minister has been caught between President Trump’s existential threats to Canada, the need for firm and committed leadership, and caucus calls for a new leader and direction for the government and party.
After taking this week to “reflect” on his future as leader with the assistance of his closest advisors, Justin Trudeau has yet to signal his intention, so it appears that Canadians will have to wait until the new year to learn his intentions. In addition, today’s announcement said nothing about who in cabinet will lead the critical Canada-U.S. file.
As to the survival of the government, Mr. Trudeau’s reflections may turn out to be academic. This morning, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh released a tweet announcing that his party will bring forward a motion of non-confidence “in the next sitting of the House of Commons,” and “vote to bring this government down. No matter who is leading the Liberal Party, this government’s time is up.” This leaves prorogation of the House as the only viable alternative the Liberals have to stave off what now appears to be inevitable defeat.
Overview
Reassignments
- Anita Anand becomes Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
- Gary Anandasangaree becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and Minister of Northern Affairs and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
- Steven MacKinnon becomes Minister of Labour and Employment, workforce Development and Official Languages
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor becomes President of the Treasury Board Secretariat
New cabinet ministers
- David McGuinty becomes Minister of Public Safety
- Nathaniel Erskine-Smith becomes Minister of Housing
- Rachel Bendayan becomes Minister of Canada’s official languages and associate minister of public safety
- Darren Fisher becomes Minister of veterans affairs and associate defence minister
- Terry Duguid becomes Minister of responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister of Sport
- Ruby Sahota becomes Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
- Élisabeth Brière becomes Minister of National Revenue
- Joanne Thompson becomes Minister of Seniors
Exiting cabinet
- Chrystia Freeland previously Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
- Sean Fraser previously Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Marie-Claude Bibeau previously Minister of National Revenue
- Carla Qualtrough previously Minister of Sport and Physical Activity
- Filomeena Tassi previously Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
- Dan Vandal previously Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
