By Canadian Press

8 new faces in Trudeau’s cabinet as PM shuffles deck ahead of Trump presidency

Dec 20, 2024 | 8:52 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to add eight fresh faces to his cabinet in a shuffle today, sources with knowledge of with the moves tell The Canadian Press.

Trudeau is moving to plug gaps in his front bench after several in cabinet have decided not to run again in the election next year but he is not moving around the big players on his team.

He is also adding an associate minister of public safety.

The prime minister is lifting from his back bench Brampton, Ont. MP Ruby Sahota, St. John’s MP Joanne Thompson and Sherbrooke, Que. MP Élisabeth Brière.

The Canadian Press confirmed on Thursday from a source with knowledge of the appointments also include Montreal MP Rachel Bendayan, Winnipeg MP Terry Duguid, Toronto MP Nate Erskine-Smith, Ottawa MP David McGuinty and Nova Scotia MP Darren Fisher.

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Trudeau’s government was dealt a massive blow by the surprise loss of Chrystia Freeland as finance minister earlier this week.

That move sparked renewed calls for Trudeau to step down for the good of his party.

McGuinty, a longtime Ottawa Liberal MP who has chaired the secretive national security committee of parliamentarians since 2017, is taking on the role of public safety minister from Dominic LeBlanc, who was moved to finance quickly Monday after Freeland’s abrupt departure.

Bendayan becomes minister of official languages and the associate minister of public safety. Public safety has taken on even more prominence in recent weeks as Canada rushes to beef up border security in response to president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

Anita Anand, who has carried both transport and Treasury Board since Pablo Rodriguez left cabinet in September, will keep transport while Ginette Petitpas-Taylor, who has been juggling both employment and veterans affairs, is to become president of the Treasury Board.

Steven MacKinnon adds employment to his file and maintains the labour post.

Gary Anandasangaree will add northern affairs to his job as minister of Crown-Indigenous Affairs, to replace Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal who is leaving cabinet after announcing he won’t seek re-election.

Winnipeg MP Terry Duguid will take on Vandal’s role as minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and replace B.C. MP Carla Qualtrough as the sport minister.

Duguid will also be the only MP from the three prairie provinces in cabinet.

Brière will replace outgoing Liberal MP Marie-Claude Bibeau as national revenue minister.

Sahota will become minister of democratic institutions and responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, replacing Filomena Tassi, while Thompson takes on the seniors portfolio.

This may be Trudeau’s last major overhaul of his cabinet before the next election, expected to be called by fall 2025 at the latest.

But putting fresh faces on his front bench in the House of Commons could just as easily backfire, if it upsets too many hopeful MPs seeking promotions.

With an election just around the corner next year, anyone in his caucus still undecided on their political futures will soon be forced to make a final decision if they will run again.

The move comes a month ahead of the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, giving new ministers just a few short weeks to learn their departments inside out.

Trudeau said earlier this year that he has been courting former central banker Mark Carney to join his government in a top role and tapped him as a special economic adviser to the Liberal party.

But LeBlanc ruled out the idea of Carney becoming finance minister this week, saying Trudeau told him the job is his for keeps.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2024.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers remarks during a National Caucus holiday event in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

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