Trudeau appoints mental health and addiction minister to new cabinet

Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has created a new ministry to tackle his elections promises on mental health and addictions.

Carolyn Bennett, who served recently as minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, has been tapped to take on the new minister of mental health and addictions role.

The Liberals’ platform promised a new federal transfer of $4.5 billion over five years to provinces and territories to provide accessible, free mental health services.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos will take over as health minister from Patty Hajdu, who became the face of the federal government’s response in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the first orders of business will be negotiations with provinces and territories that have demanded the federal government take on a greater share of the cost of delivering health care.

He will also be responsible for the Public Health Agency of Canada and will work closely with chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam as Canada navigates the fourth wave of the pandemic.

Overall, the cabinet has some old faces in familiar places, and new faces in new places. It should be noted that no MP from Vancouver Island was selected to Trudeau’s cabinet.

Below is a full breakdown of who has what ministerial position in Justin Trudeau’s newly announced cabinet:

  • Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance
  • Omar Alghabra, minister of transport
  • Anita Anand, minister of national defence
  • Carolyn Bennett, minister of mental health and addictions and associate minister of health
  • Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food
  • Bill Blair, president of the Queen’s Privy Council and minister of emergency preparedness
  • Randy Boissonnault, minister of tourism and associate minister of finance
  • François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and commerce
  • Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of health
  • Mona Fortier, president of the treasury board
  • Sean Fraser, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship
  • Karina Gould, minister of families, children and social development
  • 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, government House leader
  • Ahmed Hussen, minister of housing and diversity and inclusion
  • Gudie Hutchings, minister of rural economic development
  • Marci Ien, minister for women, gender equality and youth
  • Helena Jaczek, minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
  • Mélanie Joly, minister of foreign affairs
  • Kamal Khera, minister of seniors
  • David Lametti, minister of justice and attorney general of Canada
  • Dominic LeBlanc, minister of intergovernmental affairs, infrastructure and communities
  • Diane Lebouthillier, minister of national revenue
  • Lawrence MacAulay, minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence
  • Marco Mendicino, minister of public safety
  • Marc Miller, minister of Crown-Indigenous relations
  • Joyce Murray, minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
  • Mary Ng, minister of international trade, export promotion, small business and economic development
  • Seamus O’Regan, minister of labour
  • Ginette Petitpas Taylor, minister of official languages and minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
  • Carla Qualtrough, minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion
  • Pablo Rodriguez, minister of Canadian heritage
  • Harjit Sajjan, minister of international development and minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
  • Pascale St-Onge, minister of sport and minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
  • Filomena Tassi, minister of public services and procurement
  • Dan Vandal, minister of northern affairs, minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
  • Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of natural resources

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