Carney’s cabinet includes Nunavik’s Mandy Gull-Masty
All provinces, North get representation
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, centre, is sworn in to her role in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet on Tuesday morning. She poses with Carney, and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon after being sworn in. (Screenshot courtesy of CPAC)
Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a cabinet Tuesday with a mix of new, familiar — and northern — faces as well as some veteran Liberal MPs.
Mandy Gull-Masty, a first-time member of Parliament for the Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou riding, which includes Nunavik, is the new Indigenous services minister.
Northwest Territories MP Rebecca Alty, also a first-time federal representative, is minister of Crown-Indigenous relations. The northern and Arctic affairs portfolio is going to Rebecca Chartrand, who is also the minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
The group was sworn into their new roles Tuesday morning at Rideau Hall, the official residence of Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, in a ceremony that began with a traditional qulliq lighting.
Carney’s cabinet of 28 full ministers is smaller than that of former prime minister Justin Trudeau, which was made up with 37 members. But Carney is also including 10 secretaries of state, a designation of junior minister used most recently in 2008 by former prime minister Stephen Harper.
Other notable appointments include former northern affairs minister Gary Anandasangaree, who is moving over to public safety. Joanne Thompson is minister of fisheries, while the health portfolio goes to Marjorie Michel.
François Phillipe-Champagne is staying on as Carney’s minister of finance and minister of national revenue, while Gregor Robertson was sworn in as minister of housing and infrastructure.
Sean Fraser is minister of justice and is the attorney general of Canada.
Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland is minister of transport and internal trade, while Maninder Sidhu takes on international trade.
Carney’s cabinet includes a minister responsible for artificial intelligence, a role going to first-time MP Evan Solomon.
Joël Lightbound is minister of government transformation, public works and procurement, while Julie Dabrusin is minister of environment and climate change. Tim Hodgson takes on the role of minister of energy and natural resources.
Dominic LeBlanc was named minister responsible for U.S. trade, intergovernmental affairs, and One Canadian Economy — a new portfolio tasked with streamlining trade among the provinces and territories.
Mélanie Joly is minister of industry, moving from the foreign affairs portfolio. Anita Anand is now minister of foreign affairs, while Patty Hajdu is taking on the role of minister of jobs and families.
Stephen Guilbeault keeps his roles, in charge of Canadian identity and culture as well as official languages.
Rechie Valdez was sworn in as minister of women and gender equality, while Eleanor Olszewski takes on emergency management and community resilience.
Steven MacKinnon is the government leader in the House of Commons and Lena Metlege Diab is minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship.
David McGuinty is minister of national defence, while Jill McKnight is associate minister of national defence and minister of veterans’ affairs. Shafqat Ali is a new addition to cabinet, taking on the role of president of the Treasury Board.
The 10 secretaries of state and their portfolios are:
- Buckley Belanger, (Rural Development)
- Stephen Fuhr, (Defence Procurement)
- Anna Gainey, (Children and Youth)
- Wayne Long, (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
- Stephanie McLean, (Seniors)
- Nathalie Provost, (Nature)
- Ruby Sahota, (Combatting Crime)
- Randeep Sarai, (International Development)
- Adam van Koeverden, (Sport)
- John Zerucelli, (Labour)
Finally, our region has a much more representative MP. And a member of cabinet no less.
To think we had an opponent running against her that stated he would have liked to have visited Nunavik during his campaign, but the “airline ticket” was cost prohibitive for him.
Glad he did not win, as he may have eventually gotten donations for a plane ticket to Nunavik, but would have probably been deterred in visiting the region again, once he came in contact with the cost of Accommodations (hotels) and food prices in the area.
You know Carney wanted to give a cabinet seat to Nunavut…
But we got Lori…
“strategic voting”
That is one winning smile. We shall be sitting pretty despite the economy tanking, just look at that smile, nothing to worry here. New housing minister did a fine job as mayor, doubling housing prices. New transportation minister, did she really get a speeding ticket?