Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed no love for Surrey MPs Sukh Dhaliwal and Randeep Sarai as he continued to keep them out even though he added seven new MPs to cabinet rank in what could be his government’s final shuffle as poll out Thursday shows Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre rising and headed to a majority government when election is called, which could be as early as next spring.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff With News Files

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed no love for Surrey MPs Sukh Dhaliwal and Randeep Sarai as he continued to keep them out even though he added seven new MPs to cabinet rank in what could be his government’s final shuffle as poll out Thursday shows Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre rising and headed to a majority government when election is called, which could be as early as next spring.

Trudeau dropped seven ministers and changed nearly three-quarters of his cabinet, overhauling his team at a time of heightened tensions overseas and scandals at home. At least four of his senior ministers decided not to run in upcoming election and thus were cabinet walkouts.

Trudeau unveiled a new cabinet team this week which is meant to have a renewed focus on economic priorities, such as housing, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall Wednesday morning. The shuffle promotes seven new faces and tasks more than a dozen ministers with new roles, including a new minister of defence and public safety.

When asked why Canadians should care about his new cabinet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his team will be ‘delivering’ for Canadians on a range of issues, from climate change to affordability.

“This is a difficult time right now for millions of people in Canada and around the world, and making sure that we have the best possible team aligned to respond to Canadians’ challenges with the supports necessary, but also show that optimism, that ambition for getting us through these consequential times and building a brighter future for everyone —that’s what we’re focused on,” Trudeau said.

Amid those global challenges, Toronto-area MP Bill Blair takes over the defence portfolio from Anita Anand, who becomes president of the Treasury Board.

Seven new MPs received a promotion to cabinet:

Toronto MP Arif Virani, who represents Parkdale—High Park, becomes minister of justice and attorney general of Canada

Arif Virani and his family arrive for a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.

Arif Virani and his family arrive for a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Quebec MP Soraya Martinez Ferrada, who represents the riding of Hochelaga, becomes the minister of tourism and minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for Quebec Regions.

Gary Anandasangaree, who represents Scarborough—Rouge Park, becomes minister of Crown-Indigenous relations

B.C. MP Terry Beech of Burnaby North—Seymour becomes minister of citizens’ services 

Toronto-area MP Ya’ara Saks, who represents York Centre, becomes minister of mental health and addictions and associate minister of health

Ottawa-area MP Jenna Sudds, who represents, Kanata—Carleton, becomes minister of families, children and social development 

Mississauga—Streetsville MP Rechie Valdez becomes minister of small business

The cabinet reset did little to impress Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who said Trudeau’s cabinet shuffle was an attempt to blame many of the challenges facing Canadians on outgoing ministers, and to avoid taking responsibility himself.

“Today, by firing or moving most of his cabinet, Justin Trudeau has admitted that after 8 years of inflationary spending that has exploded the cost of living; 8 years of carbon taxes that drives up your gas, heat, and groceries; 8 years of catch-and-release policies that make our streets dangerous, and 8 years of doubling the cost of housing, his government is a failure. It’s funny, though, the one Minister who is responsible for these failures didn’t get moved – and that Minister is Justin Trudeau,” Poilievre said.

 “Justin Trudeau has fired a lot of Ministers today, admitted his government is broken. But the ones he didn’t fire? He didn’t fire the Minister of inflation, Chrystia Freeland, who weeks after saying government deficits drive inflation, decided to introduce 60 billion more in government deficits. He didn’t fire the Minister of the carbon tax, Steven Guilbeault, who wants to hit people with another 61 cents a liter. And he did not fire the one Minister who is most responsible – the one Minister who has presided over the record increase in costs, the doubling of housing prices, the growing crime and chaos in our street[s], the doubling of housing costs that nobody can afford a place to live, that Minister is the Prime Minister and he needs to be fire and replaced with a new, common sense Conservative Prime Minister.”

Following Wednesday’s shuffle, NDP Leader Jagmeet called the government a failure on key files like housing affordability but didn’t suggest he was willing to pull his support.

“Our priority isn’t triggering an election. It’s forcing the government to work for people,” said Singh. “We are focused on getting results for people, not focused on forcing an election.”

NEW FEDERAL CABINET

Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister of Canada

Chrystia Freeland – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Anita Anand – President of the Treasury Board

Gary Anandasangaree – Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

Terry Beech – Minister of Citizens’ Services

Marie-Claude Bibeau – Minister of National Revenue

Bill Blair – Minister of National Defence

Randy Boissonnault – Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

François-Philippe Champagne – Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Jean-Yves Duclos – Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Sean Fraser – Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Karina Gould – Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Steven Guilbeault – Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Patty Hajdu – Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

Mark Holland – Minister of Health

Ahmed Hussen – Minister of International Development

Gudie Hutchings – Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Marci Ien – Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Mélanie Joly – Minister of Foreign Affairs

Kamal Khera – Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

Dominic LeBlanc – Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

Diane Lebouthillier – Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Lawrence MacAulay – Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Soraya Martinez Ferrada – Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

Marc Miller – Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Mary Ng – Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development

Seamus O’Regan Jr. – Minister of Labour and Seniors

Ginette Petitpas Taylor – Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Carla Qualtrough – Minister of Sport and Physical Activity

Pablo Rodriguez – Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant

Harjit S. Sajjan – President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

Ya’ara Saks – Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health

Pascale St-Onge – Minister of Canadian Heritage

Jenna Sudds – Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Filomena Tassi – Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Rechie Valdez – Minister of Small Business

Dan Vandal – Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

Arif Virani – Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Jonathan Wilkinson – Minister of Energy and Natural Resources