Justin Trudeau will "shake up" the cabinet ministry
Sources in the government say several ministers could lose their posts as early as Wednesday.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, considered by many Canadians to be the worst prime minister in modern history, is preparing to reshuffle his cabinet, and the reshuffling of the first cabinet could take place as early as Wednesday. Government sources told CBC and CTV News.
Trudeau held private meetings with ministers in Ottawa ahead of his upcoming trip to Rideau Hall. Rumors have been swirling for weeks about reshuffles on the federal political scene this summer.
These upcoming and potentially significant cabinet reshuffles look to many like an attempt by the Liberals, who remain in the minority, to change their position on several hot-button issues. During the fall and spring sessions, the government was criticized on issues such as housing affordability, public safety, and online platform policies.
Over the weekend, several announcements from ministers scheduled for Monday were canceled across the country. Presumably, this was because ministers needed to get back to the capital in time to meet with the prime minister ahead of the reshuffle. Other ministers continued their work as planned.
Among the ministers who canceled were Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen, and the Minister of Official Languages Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Ginette Petitpas Taylor.
One of the ministers whose event was rescheduled for Monday was Environment and Climate Change Minister Stephen Guilbeault. At this very event, he was asked how he felt about a possible upcoming cabinet reshuffle.
"I serve at the pleasure of the prime minister of Canada. I'm here today making this announcement... I'm leaving for the G20. Unless my boss tells me that I’m no longer leaving for the G20, I'll be heading there tonight to represent Canada as the environment and climate change minister for the country,," said Guilbeault.
Ministers are expected to have informed the Prime Minister's Office of their intentions to run again if an election is called. It is likely that those who have indicated their refusal to run again will be dropped from cabinet, allowing Trudeau to move high-performing Liberal Party members into the cabinet before the next election campaign, which is scheduled for 2025.
Longtime Liberal MP and current Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett announced Monday that she will not be running for re-election. Speaking to reporters, Bennett said she has already met with Trudeau and told him her plans.
One minister many believe will be affected by the reshuffle is Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino. He has received much criticism over the passage of the gun control law and the transfer of Paul Bernardo to a general prison.
Among the Liberal MPs whose names come up most often in conversations about who might get a seat in a revamped cabinet, recently elected from Quebec, Anna Gainey, comes to mind.
Elliot Hughes — a senior specialist at public relations firm Summa Strategies — warns that all talk of cabinet reshuffles so far can only be considered "rumors" and "speculation". However, there is every reason to believe that we are in for some serious changes in the cabinet.
