Trudeau unveils 'gender-balanced' new cabinet, gives women top positions; here's full list

Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday, October 26, naming women to the positions of foreign affairs and defence in a gender-balanced cabinet. Expressing his willingness to lead his party in the upcoming elections, he in an official statement said that his diverse team will continue to find real solutions to the challenges that Canadians face, and deliver on a progressive agenda, as "we finish the fight against COVID-19 and build a better future for everyone". The Canadian PM named Mélanie Joly as foreign minister and Anita Anand as defence minister, by Justin Trudeau. Chrystia Freeland has retained her positions as deputy prime minister and finance minister.

Since Trudeau's Liberal administration was initially elected in 2015, women have made up half of the Canadian Cabinet. According to AP, when asked if he will lead his party into the next elections, Trudeau said "Yes". Trudeau has won three elections in a row, but in the last two elections, he has failed to secure a majority of seats in Parliament. In a minority Parliament, his Liberal Party must rely on at least one other party to enact laws and stay in office.

The new Canadian Cabinet

Joly, a 42-year-old Montrealer, has previously served as the minister of economic development and, before that, the minister of heritage. Anand, a 54-year-old Oakville, Ontario native, is Canada's second female defence minister. The Ontario native previously served as the country's procurement minister, making efforts to obtain vaccines in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. Trudeau also established a new department of mental health and addictions and Carolyn Bennett has been chosen to fill the position.

Harjit Sajjan, who has been widely chastised for his handling of sexual misconduct charges in the Canadian military, is resigning from the defence portfolio to take up a new position in international development. Steven Guilbeault, a former Greenpeace activist, has been named environment minister, a move that may stir anxiety in Alberta's oil-rich province. Only ten ministers from Trudeau's previous cabinet are expected to remain. Last month, Canadians voted for Trudeau's Liberal Party to win parliamentary elections, but his gamble to win a majority of seats failed, and the outcome was strikingly similar to that of the previous election two years ago.

Opposition criticised Trudeau for having 'lackadaisical attitude'

On 22 November, Parliament will be formally recalled, and MPs and ministers will have at least a month to adjust to their new jobs and responsibilities. Meanwhile, the opposition parties criticised the Canadian PM for having a "lackadaisical attitude" in getting back to work as he announced the establishment of his cabinet two months after the election on 20 September. Furthermore, the COVID-19 immunisations will be a top focus for the Trudeau's government. The new Canadian Cabinet will reintroduce legislation banning dangerous conversion therapy and approving a 10-day paid sick leave for all federally regulated employees.

Noting that past year and a half has been difficult for Canadians, he said: "We have all made sacrifices to keep each other and our communities safe from COVID-19, and the Government of Canada has had people’s backs every step of the way. As we continue to take strong action to beat the pandemic and get the job done on the vaccine rollout, the government will keep putting Canadians first and delivering on their priorities. We will create new jobs and grow the middle class, put home ownership back in reach for Canadians, accelerate our fight against climate change, deliver on $10-a-day child care, and walk the shared path of reconciliation. Together, we will continue to move Canada forward for everyone."

Here's is the full list of new Cabinet:

• Chrystia Freeland remains Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
• Omar Alghabra remains Minister of Transport
• Anita Anand becomes Minister of National Defence
• Carolyn Bennett becomes Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
• Marie-Claude Bibeau remains Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
• Bill Blair becomes President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness
• Randy Boissonnault becomes Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
• François-Philippe Champagne remains Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
• Jean-Yves Duclos becomes Minister of Health
• Mona Fortier becomes President of the Treasury Board
• Sean Fraser becomes Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
• Karina Gould becomes Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
• Steven Guilbeault becomes Minister of Environment and Climate Change
• Patty Hajdu becomes Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
• Mark Holland becomes Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
• Ahmed Hussen becomes Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
• Gudie Hutchings becomes Minister of Rural Economic Development
• Marci Ien becomes Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
• Helena Jaczek becomes Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
• Mélanie Joly becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Kamal Khera becomes Minister of Seniors
• David Lametti remains Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
• Dominic LeBlanc becomes Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
• Diane Lebouthillier remains Minister of National Revenue
• Lawrence MacAulay remains Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
• Marco E. L. Mendicino becomes Minister of Public Safety
• Marc Miller becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
• Joyce Murray becomes Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
• Mary Ng becomes Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development
• Seamus O’Regan Jr. becomes Minister of Labour
• Ginette Petitpas Taylor becomes Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
• Carla Qualtrough remains Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
• Pablo Rodriguez becomes Minister of Canadian Heritage and remains Quebec Lieutenant
• Harjit S. Sajjan becomes Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
• Pascale St-Onge becomes Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
• Filomena Tassi becomes Minister of Public Services and Procurement
• Dan Vandal becomes Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
• Jonathan Wilkinson becomes Minister of Natural Resources

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)