Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is gearing up for a significant cabinet reshuffle this week, aiming to replace ministers who have faced challenges in their roles or are not planning to run in the upcoming election, according to reliable government sources.
Trudeau, who has previously made periodic cabinet changes since assuming power in 2015, sees this shakeup as a critical opportunity to revamp his team before the next election. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp predicts the reshuffle will likely take place on Wednesday.
Monday saw three ministers canceling their appointments, a common practice before a cabinet reshuffle. Among those who scrapped their events was Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, who, according to the sources, is expected to be moved to a different role.
Opposition parties have been critical of Mendicino’s handling of sensitive matters, including alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections, gun control law reform efforts, and the transfer of a notorious murderer to a less secure prison.
Other cabinet ministers cancelling their scheduled appointments so far are Minister of Official Languages Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra. Recently, Alghabra faced a challenging situation as BC dock workers continue to strike demanding fair wages.
Trudeau’s schedule on Monday showed him in Ottawa holding private meetings, with his office declining immediate comment on the possible reshuffle.
Influential ministers such as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson are expected to retain their positions.
Trudeau leads a minority government and relies on the support of the smaller left-of-center New Democrats to maintain power until 2025. However, this arrangement is not binding, and the New Democrats could trigger an election by withdrawing their support on key legislation.
Trudeau’s party won a parliamentary majority in 2015 but has since been reduced to a minority government after elections in 2019 and 2021.
Recent opinion polls indicate that the Liberal party is trailing the opposition Conservatives, who have lost the last three federal elections to Trudeau’s party. A Mainstreet Research poll released on July 7th showed the Conservatives with 37% public support, the Liberals behind at 30%, and the New Democrats at 17%. Such results on election day could potentially give the Conservatives a minority government.
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