Trudeau shuffles the deck; New cabinet named

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a long-anticipated Cabinet Shuffle, a task made more complicated with the previous resignations of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Housing Minister Sean Fraser. Dominic LeBlanc was given responsibility for Finance on Monday, and it was confirmed he will stay in that role.

Anita Anand is now Transport Minister full-time, with her Treasury Board role taken over by Ginette Petitpas Taylor. Steven MacKinnon keeps his Labour portfolio with the addition of the rest of the Employment and Workforce Development Ministry. Toronto MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith joins Cabinet as Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Ottawa veteran MP David McGuinty takes over Public Safety from LeBlanc.

Mark Carney, the name everyone talks about when Trudeau is considering a shuffle, is nowhere to be seen. Instead, the new senior Ministers are from inside the existing Liberal caucus. Erskine-Smith is the most intriguing new Minister; with his mild maverick tendencies in Trudeau’s first term eclipsed by a strong showing in the Ontario Liberal leadership race that displayed strong grassroots organization skills combined with good political communication.

What this Means for the Government Going Forward

With an election now widely anticipated before the fixed October 20, 2025 date, new Ministers have limited time to make a mark on their portfolio.

Anand was known to want the transport role permanently, rounding out her experience across government managing complex files.

David McGuinty should bring a calm approach to the always hot Public Safety portfolio.

Erskine-Smith was expected to run provincially for the Liberals after his second place showing in the Ontario provincial leadership but is now staying to defend his seat and follow his passion for housing.

For Trudeau, the shuffle fills a lot of empty chairs at the cabinet table and potentially gives him a few more weeks of breathing room.

The new Ministers have good relationships with others in caucus, the party grassroots, and cabinet. If Trudeau remains as leader, he will need support rallying them to the cause. But it also removes the carrot of a cabinet appointment for those remaining in caucus, loosening further the restraints on his critics.

Political staff in the offices of ministers with new portfolios will be given 30 days-notice to take a severance package or a new role. This will slow decision-making through January and potentially beyond in some departments.

Singh Declares it’s Over

Meanwhile as news of the Prime Minister’s new cabinet appointments was breaking, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh released a letter stating he would put forward a vote of non-confidence in the “next sitting of the House of Commons.”

However, as the third party in the House, the NDP only have one Opposition Day allotted to them in the next scheduled Supply period between January 27 and March 31 – and it will be well after the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have an opportunity to introduce potential non-confidence motions of their own.

Furthermore, the Liberal government controls the timing of each Opposition Day, so it can try and schedule these days when they are least damaging from a calendar perspective.

Could Parliament be Prorogued?

Procedurally, the Prime Minister could prorogue parliament for an undefined amount of time to avoid the instability that plagued the government this past fall.

If parliament is prorogued, the current session will be terminated and any legislation which did not receive Royal Assent will die and must be reintroduced in the next session.

The government can introduce a motion to restore government bills to the stage they were at prior to prorogation, and Private Members’ Bills are automatically restored to the stage they were at as well. Finally, prorogation does not impact the ability of the government to proceed with regulations or with orders-in-council.

Who’s In and Who’s Out?

In:

• Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, MP for Beaches-East York, becomes the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
• David McGuinty, MP for Ottawa South, becomes the Minister of Public Safety.
• Rachel Bendayan, MP for Outremont, becomes the Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety.
• Steven MacKinnon, MP for Gatineau, maintains his role as the Minister of Labour, loses his role as Minister of Seniors, and becomes Minister of Employment and Workforce Development.
• Anita Anand, MP for Oakville, maintains her role as Minister of Transport, loses her role as President of the Treasury Board, but also assumes responsibility for Intergovernmental Trade Barriers, supported by PCO.
• Ginette Petitpas Taylor, MP for Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, becomes the President of the Treasury Board.
• Gary Anandasangree, MP for Scarborough—Rouge Park, maintains his role as Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs, but also picks up the role of Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
• Darren Fisher, MP for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, becomes the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.
• Terry Duguid, MP for Winnipeg South, becomes Minister of Sport and Minister Responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.
• Élisabeth Brière, MP for Sherbrooke, becomes the Minister of National Revenue.
• Ruby Sahota, MP for Brampton North, becomes the Minister of Democratic Institutions and the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
• Joanne Thompson, MP for St. John’s East, becomes the Minister of Seniors.

Out:

• Chrystia Freeland resigned on Monday as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
• Sean Fraser resigned on Monday as the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
• Randy Boissonnault resigned on November 20 as Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.
• Dan Vandal released a statement on October 17 sharing that he would not seek re-election and was working with PMO to transition out of his role as Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, and Northern Affairs.
• Carla Qualtrough, on the same day as Vandal, has shared that she is not running again and will be transitioning out of her role as Minister of Sport and Physical Activity.
• Filomena Tassi is not seeking re-election and is being shuffled out of her portfolio as the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
• Marie-Claude Bibeau shared her intention not to run again and has been shuffled out of her role as Minister of National Revenue.
• Pablo Rodriguez resigned on September 19 as the Minister of Transport and as Quebec Lieutenant, to seek the Quebec Liberal leadership.
• Seamus O’Regan resigned from his role as the Minister of Labour and Seniors on July 18 and does not intend to run again in the next election.