Trudeau all set to rejig his Cabinet with 2025 elections in view

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is all set to name his new Cabinet that will see him and his Liberal Party through the next elections. Before he orders a rejig of his Cabinet, some Ministers have either already put in their papers or have announced that they would not be available for the next elections.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra was the first to tweet his decision to move out of the Cabinet immediately saying “I have news to share: after a lot of reflection, I decided not to run in the next election. As a result, I will be stepping aside from the Cabinet. I was first elected in 2006 and have had the journey of a lifetime. I’m grateful for every minute of it.”

It is not only Omar Alghabra but three other ministers who have also made clear their intentions not to contest the next elections. They are Public Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek, 72, Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, 69, and  Mental Health Minister Carolyn Bennett, 72. They all have made clear of their intentions of not entering the fray in the next elections.

There is a tradition that those who declared their intention not to contest again are usually dropped from the Cabinet soon after that. Since the Prime Minister is due to rejig his Council of Ministers, he may change portfolios of some and induct some young blood in his new Cabinet.

The Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau had its last Cabinet reshuffle in October 2021.

There were speculations that some of the Ministers, including Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne will continue with the same portfolios. Defence Minister Anita Anand, however, is expected to be moved to the Treasury Board. Besides four Ministers who have announced their decision not to contest the next elections, some other ministers may be dropped. The names mentioned are those of Justice Minister David Lametti and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.

Liberal sources say the  Cabinet reshuffle will happen this week.

Prime Minister  Justin Trudeau who led the Liberals to a majority in 2015, however, could not repeat his performance in the subsequent elections in 2019 and 2021 where the Liberals were reduced to a minority.  It is the conditional support by the New Democratic Party that has been keeping the minority Liberal government in office.

Prabhjot Singh