Changes coming as Trudeau shuffles federal cabinet

Ctvnews.ca
Jan 14, 2019
Rachel Aiello

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is poised to make changes to the makeup of the federal cabinet today, including moving minister Jane Philpott into the newly-vacated role as president of the Treasury Board.

Sources tell CTV News that Philpott, currently Indigenous Services Minister, will be moved to fill the vacancy left by long-time MP Scott Brison. He surprised some when he announced last week that he was resigning from cabinet because he will not be seeing re-election in 2019.

This move will be announced as part of a cabinet shuffle happening at Rideau Hall this morning. Trudeau, alongside Governor General Julie Payette, will oversee the latest changes to the ministerial roster at the swearing-in ceremony beginning at 8:45 a.m.

She will now take on overseeing the federal public service and intergovernmental spending as part of the Treasury Board file. This position touches on the management of government departments, which she already has some awareness of as the vice-chair of the high-level Treasury Board cabinet committee.

The Indigenous services job under Philpott had her focusing on the delivery of programs to First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, including education and housing, as well as chipping away at clearing the drinking water advisories in First Nation communities.

Philpott's new appointment will likely trigger a domino effect, to some degree, within cabinet as Trudeau looks to fill her spot while keeping in mind regional representation. There is speculation that current Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan will be the one to fill her vacancy, meaning that his ministerial position will need filling.

Brison is from Atlantic Canada, and given it was a Liberal sweep with the party holding all of the seats, many are anticipating an MP from the area gets promoted in today's shake up.

Not offering much of an insight into the size or scope of the shakeup, Trudeau did say last week that there would be “some changes,” coming.

With Brison's resignation, the cabinet currently includes 34 members, including the prime minister.

Pending further unanticipated departures, many see this as likely the last shuffle before the next federal election. This means that the line up announced on Monday will likely be the roster of ministers that Trudeau wants to have in place for the 2019 campaign.

Come the campaign, governments make an effort to have strong representatives like cabinet ministers from every region of the country, and more in areas seen to be key to gaining or maintaining support. Until then, it will be on these ministers to fulfill the outstanding 2015 campaign promises and mandate commitments that Trudeau and the Liberal Party came into power vowing to complete.

Trudeau has rearranged his front bench, in some way, in every year since coming to power. The last time was in July, when he grew the size of the cabinet with the appointment of five rookie MPs and rearranged others within cabinet to respond to some trouble files.

In appointing his first slate of ministers, Trudeau made a point of installing gender parity, a balance he has sought to maintain throughout following cabinet shuffles.

After making Monday's adjustments to his ministerial roster, Trudeau and his cabinet will convene in Sherbrooke, Que., from Wednesday to Friday for a cabinet retreat before the House of Commons resumes sitting on Jan. 28.