Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet yet again amid turmoil within the Liberal Party and speculation that he’s on the verge of resigning.
Trudeau announced the shuffle Friday — his second in as many years — after two more of his ministers announced they would not be seeking re-election, making it a total of five ministers who informed the Prime Minister in recent months that they were jumping ship.
Having moved Dominic LeBlanc from public safety to finance on Monday after he booted Chrystia Freeland from the role — causing her to resign from cabinet — Trudeau appointed Ontario MP David McGuinty to public safety. McGuinty is the current chair of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP).
With failed immigration minister and housing minister Sean Fraser also announcing earlier this week that he would not be seeking re-election, Trudeau assigned Toronto MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith to the housing portfolio.
Montreal MP Rachel Bendayan has been appointed to the role of minister of official languages, replacing Strong Eagle Man Randy Boissonnault. Boissonnault was removed from cabinet after misleading the public about his ancestry, and following the news that the Edmonton Police Service is investigating his former business, Global Health Imports (GHI), and business partner, Stephen Anderson, over allegations of fraud.
Other appointments:
- Newfoundland and Labrador MP Joanne Thompson was appointed minister of seniors, after Seamus O’Regan left cabinet.
- Moreover, Trudeau assigned Nova Scotia MP Darren Fisher to minister of veterans affairs and associate defence minister, taking over for Ginette Petitpas Taylor who’s being shuffled to Treasury Board president.
- Newfoundland and Labrador MP Joanne Thompson will become the minister of seniors, after Seamus O’Regan left cabinet.
- Trudeau assigned Quebec MP Élisabeth Brière to the role of minister of national revenue, replacing Marie-Claude Bibeau who also announced she won’t seek re-election.
- Manitoba MP Terry Duguid was made minister of prairies economic development Canada, taking over for Dan Vandal, who also recently announced he wasn’t seeking re-election.
- Ontario MP Ruby Sahota was appointed to minister of federal economic development, replacing the outgoing Filomena Tassi.
- Anita Anand remains minister of transport but is now doing double duty, as she was named minister of internal trade, shuffled out from being the President of Treasury Board.
- Gary Anandasangaree, who will remain as minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, was named minister of northern affairs and Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
- Labour minister Steven MacKinnon will remain as such, but is also now the minister of employment, workforce development and official languages role from Randy Boissonnault
Dwindling polling numbers have the Trudeau Liberals polling more than 20 points below the Conservative Party of Canada. According to Abacus Data, two-thirds of Canadians want Trudeau to resign.