Justin Trudeau was officially sworn in as Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister November 4, and his newly announced cabinet includes three members from British Columbia.
Jody Wilson-Raybould, MP for Vancouver-Granville, has been selected as Minister of Justice. Wilson-Raybould is a former Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, as well as a past treaty commissioner and a former crown prosecutor.
Carla Qualtrough, MP of Delta, is the new Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. Qualtrough has worked with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and is a former human rights lawyer. As well, Qualtrough is a former Paralympian and chairs the BC Minister’s Council on Employment and Accessibility. She earned her law degree at the University of Victoria.
Harjit Sajjan, MP of Vancouver-South, has been chosen as Minister of National Defence. He is a retired member of the Canadian forces, having served as a lieutenant-colonel, and is a recipient of the Order of Military Merit. In addition, Sajjan was a member of the Vancouver Police Department for 11 years.
B.C. Premier Christy Clark issued a statement offering her congratulations to Trudeau and the new cabinet ministers.
“I am pleased to see British Columbia will be well represented at the cabinet table,” Clark said.
“I know ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould, Harjit Sajjan and Carla Qualtrough will be strong, passionate advocates not just for the province, but for our shared priorities, like renewing the Softwood Lumber Agreement, LNG development, increasing support for international trade, investing in infrastructure and immigration as well as fully including First Nations in our diverse economy.”
Mayor Gregor Robertson said the appointment of three MPs from British Columbia will be good for the City of Vancouver, "after a decade of being ignored by the previous federal government."
"On priority issues like affordable housing, transit, and climate change, Vancouver will have a strong voice in Ottawa at the cabinet table," Robertson said in a press release. "I look forward to working with the new government to secure major transit investments both in Vancouver and throughout the country, as well as collaborating on getting new affordable housing built across Canada.
"And as Chair of the Big City Mayors’ Caucus, I know that Canada’s cities are ready to step up and help assist the federal government in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis."
True to his word, Trudeau’s new cabinet includes an equal number of men and women.
The full list of the new cabinet, in order of introduction, is:
- Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth;
- Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness;
- Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs;
- Lawrence Macauley, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food;
- Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice;
- Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs;
- Jody Foote, Minister of Public Service;
- John MacCallum, Minister of Immigration;
- Chrystia Freeland, Minister of International Trade;
- Scott Brison – Minister of the Treasury Board;
- Jane Philpott, Minister of Health;
- Dominic LeBlanc, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons;
- Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development;
- Navdeep Bains, Minister of Economic Development;
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Heritage;
- Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance;
- Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue;
- Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development;
- Catherine McKenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change;
- Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport;
- Maryann Mihychuk, Minister of Employment Workforce Development and Labour;
- Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources;
- Maryam Monsef, Minister of Democratic Institutions;
- Kent Hehr, Minister of Veteran Affairs;
- Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities;
- Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence;
- Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science;
- Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities;
- Patty Hajdu, Minister of the Status of Women;
- Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coastguard; and
- Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism.
