Can Trudeau’s cabinet shuffle make an impact on Canada’s pressing issues? – National | 24CA News
With seven new ministers in cupboard, seven out and 23 cupboard members altering their jobs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hit the reset button on his interior circle.
We’re midway via the federal government’s present mandate with key priorities already within the works. Trudeau’s workforce is dealing with a number of high-profile challenges, from the value of dwelling disaster to safeguarding elections from international interference.
After a near-total shuffling of ministerial roles, how a lot actual change ought to Canadians count on to see?
Former clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick says a cupboard shuffle at this level is like handing off the baton in a relay race.
“A lot of it is just inherited and you carry on. So, you know, if you’re the heritage minister, you walk straight into the fight with Google and Facebook about online news,” he mentioned.
He notes that key legislative priorities such because the controversial gun management invoice C-21 have already grow to be regulation, whereas packages just like the much-touted $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund are being applied.
In his expertise, some ministers will instantly adapt to their new roles — whereas others may flounder.
“I have seen ministers take to it very, very quickly and be very functional and effective within a matter of months. And some of them can be there for years and never really master, you know, the tradecraft.”
Wernick served within the federal public service for 38 years and has been within the cupboard room for elements of the Chretien, Martin and Harper governments, earlier than serving as clerk from 2016-2019 within the Trudeau authorities.
In that point, he’s seen many cupboard ministers come and go. He says whereas the agenda and tone of presidency is ready by the Prime Minister’s Office, it does matter who’s in cupboard as they would be the key workforce members giving enter on the route of presidency coverage on the decision-making desk.
“I think there’s a tendency to kind of write this off as shuffling the deck and they’re just a bunch of nobodies. But no, you know, all those people in opposition would love to be at the cabinet table. It matters who’s there and who isn’t,” Wernick mentioned.
The Trudeau authorities will enter its eighth 12 months in energy come September. While Wednesday’s shuffle noticed so much motion, some specialists don’t count on to see the identical diploma of change on the federal government’s total route.
“There’s a lot of central control around what happens and what the decisions are, and that doesn’t mean ministers don’t do anything,” mentioned Lori Turnbull, director of Dalhousie University’s School of Public Policy.
“It just means if you’re talking about a direction of the government and the strategy and the plan and the priorities. You are not going to see a big shift in that if the prime minister and the finance minister are the same. You’re just not.”
Tyler Meredith, former financial adviser for Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, says that the shuffle sends a sign that the federal government is searching for a reset however that received’t really occur with no new coverage agenda.
“I think probably the most important thing that we saw yesterday was that there was a significant shift to be more proactive on housing and whether that’s just a communications exercise, we’ll see,” Meredith mentioned.
Nova Scotia MP Sean Fraser was moved to the revamped housing and infrastructure portfolio within the cupboard shuffle from immigration the place he was seen as a powerful performer.
“I think the government knows that its key vulnerability, as it relates to affordability and especially as it relates to its understanding of the situation right now with Canadians, is around housing,” Meredith mentioned.
Wernick provides it’s not unusual to see a authorities look to refresh its entrance bench at this stage within the mandate, as burnout usually develops at this stage in a authorities and the vitality of newcomers might be helpful for veterans.
With three outgoing ministers, Marco Mendicino, Mona Fortier and David Lametti, planning to hunt re-election, Wernick says Trudeau ought to nonetheless maintain them busy.
“Ex-ministers, if they aren’t given another assignment like chair of a parliamentary committee or head of some sort of exercise or role in the campaign, you know, are sort of loose free agents within the political system. And they’re always a headache for prime ministers,” Wernick mentioned.
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