OTTAWA — The latest on the unveiling and swearing-in of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. All times local.
1 p.m.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau says he isn’t going anywhere within Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.
Speaking to reporters on his way into Rideau Hall for a swearing-in ceremony, Morneau says he’s excited to remain in the role he has held since first being elected in 2015.
He also says the government wants to put a focus on combating climate change, which he calls an important issue for all Canadians.
Morneau adds the government will want Canadians to see that it is going to work hard on their behalf.
But there are some new faces in cabinet making their way into Rideau Hall, including Ottawa-area MP Mona Fortier, and Deb Schulte, who was a parliamentary secretary heading into an election where she held her seat in the Greater Toronto Area.
Also making their way into Rideau Hall is Jonathan Wilkinson, who is expected to take over the environment portfolio from Catherine McKenna as she is shifted to infrastructure, and Marc Garneau who has been Trudeau’s transport minister.
12:45 p.m.
The new and returning members of Justin Trudeau’s cabinet are arriving at Rideau Hall.
A ceremony where Gov. Gen. Julie Payette will oversee the swearing-in of cabinet ministers is roughly 45 minutes away.
Unlike in 2015, when the swearing-in ceremony included outdoor screens and a public invitation, today’s event will be a more subdued ceremony, reflecting the sobering circumstances in which the governing party finds itself.
A number of the positions have already become public, including Chrystia Freeland as deputy prime minister and intergovernmental affairs minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne to foreign affairs, Catherine McKenna to infrastructure, and Jonathan Wilkinson to environment.
Among those making their way into Rideau Hall are Lawrence MacAulay, a long-time party stalwart who was veterans affairs minister, Bill Blair, in charge of combating organized crime and border security, Joyce Murray, the Treasury Board president, and Marco Mendicino, who had served as a parliamentary secretary before the election.
Speaking to reporters before the ceremony, a grinning Champagne is calling today a “great day,” seeing lots of challenges and opportunities ahead for the country.
Like cabinets during Trudeau’s first mandate, this one will have an equal number of men and women and attempt to balance regional, ethnic and religious considerations.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
