Justin Trudeau appoints an eleventh minister from Quebec

Photo: Justin Tang La Presse canadienne Prenant la parole vendredi devant Rideau Hall, après son assermentation, le ministre Steven MacKinnon a indiqué que son gouvernement entendait maintenir ses orientations actuelles.

The federal MP for Gatineau, Steven MacKinnon, became the federal Minister of Labor and Seniors on Friday. He replaces Seamus O'Regan, who left the cabinet the day before citing his need to devote more time to his partner.

A swearing-in ceremony of a few barely minutes took place Friday morning at Rideau Hall, in the presence of the Prime Minister and the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon.

Steven MacKinnon officially became the eleventh elected from Quebec to the cabinet, in addition to the Prime Minister himself. This is the choice of simplicity for Justin Trudeau, since the tasks of the 37 other ministers in his government have remained unchanged for the moment.

In addition, Mr. MacKinnon was already a familiar face around the ministers’ table. He had been named interim House leader during the last major cabinet shuffle, a year ago. This role led him to negotiate the parliamentary calendar with the other parties in Ottawa during the winter and spring, replacing Minister Karina Gould during a maternity leave.

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The Gatineau native’s entry into the circle of ministers, however, shakes up the geographic balance of the Trudeau cabinet, since the departure of Mr. O’Regan, from Newfoundland and Labrador, reduces the number of ministers from the Atlantic region to five.

Steven MacKinnon was previously the government whip, the person responsible for discipline within the Liberal troops. Perfectly bilingual, the politician has been elected without interruption since 2015, promising in each election a brand new sixth bridge to span the Ottawa River and facilitate automobile traffic between Gatineau and Ottawa. The government launched a study on the subject last month.

Speaking on Friday during a short press briefing in front of the Governor General's residence, the new minister indicated that his government intends to “continue” in its current orientations and not change its approach. “Today is not the election. People will have time to contemplate and consider the political offers that are before them,” he said, in reference to his party's lagging in national polls.

He says he is “confident” that voters will appreciate the government's record in the next election and believes that the Liberals will be able to benefit from a strong “contrast” between their platform and that of the conservative opposition. He assures that the entire caucus is behind the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Prime Minister has never published a mandate letter specific to the Labor portfolio and Elders. The last instructions on the mandate of Seamus O’Regan, as Minister of Labor, date from December 2021, shortly after the last federal election. His successor, Mr. MacKinnon, admitted on Friday that much of what was contained in that to-do list had already been accomplished. He sees his job as that of a facilitator between the parties during a labor dispute.

The list of ministers from Quebec also includes Mélanie Joly (Foreign Affairs), Pablo Rodriguez (Transport), Steven Guilbeault (Environment and Climate Change), François-Philippe Champagne (Innovation, Science and Industry), Pascale St-Onge (Heritage) , Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Tourism), Jean-Yves Duclos (Public Services and Procurement), Marie-Claude Bibeau (National Revenue), Marc Miller (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship) and Diane Lebouthillier (Fisheries and Oceans).

The next general elections must take place no later than October 2025.