Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveils diverse

cabinet in touching ceremony

Trudeau makes history with move to fill cabinet with equal gender representation; 15 of the ministers are
women.

Object 1

Justin Trudeau says his newly appointed, gender-balanced cabinet reflects the country's diversity. The new Liberal prime
minister pledged Wednesday to 'keep the promises' his party made during the election.

By: Tonda MacCharles Ottawa Bureau reporter, Les Whittington Ottawa Bureau
reporter, Bruce Campion-Smith Ottawa Bureau, Published on Wed Nov 04 2015

OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled his diverse, gender-equal cabinet

to the country by strolling to Rideau Hall with his family and ministers amid waves of
applause from thousands of Canadians.
Trudeaus cabinet is the first in Canadian history with equal numbers of men and
women, the first ever Muslim minister, the first aboriginal justice minister, and the
first northern fisheries minister, an Inuit who wore a sealskin tie to take his oath.

Flanked later outside by his 30 ministers, a buoyant Trudeau addressed a throng of

about 3,500 people as Canadas 23rd prime minister.
He said it was an incredible pleasure . . . to present a cabinet that looks like Canada.
Asked by reporters why it was important to give half those jobs to women, Trudeau
replied: Because it is 2015.
He said government by cabinet is back, as if to turn a page on the one-man show that
the Stephen Harper years had become, and pledged his would be a government that
was open, relied on evidence-based policy making, and recognized that media would
do their jobs of holding us to account and asking tough questions.
New Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, bottom row, fifth from left, poses with his cabinet after their swearing-in ceremony at
Rideau Hall in Ottawa Nov. 4.

Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire arrive with his cabinet before his swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa
Nov. 4.

Its a cabinet built around new faces 18 posts went to political newcomers to Ottawa.
Some stars, like ex-Toronto police chief Bill Blair and retired general Andrew Leslie,
didnt make the cut.
The new Liberal cabinet also features seven picks from the Greater Toronto Area,
where voters helped push his Liberals to a historic electoral victory on Oct. 19: Bill
Morneau at Finance; Chrystia Freeland at International Trade; Jane Philpott at
Health; Navdeep Bains at Innovation, Science and Economic Development; Kirsty
Duncan is Science minister; John McCallum takes Immigration, Refugees and
Citizenship, and Carolyn Bennett is at Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
Quebec elected 40 Liberals, got six ministers, none of which was an economic
portfolio.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/SEAN KILPATRICK

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau goes face-to-face with Finance Minister Bill Morneau
during the swearing-in ceremony.
The theme of the day was change and it was underscored at every turn, from the makeup of his cabinet, to the outdoor news conference he held after the ceremony, and his
pledge to openness and transparency.
There were simple yet striking contrasts to the stiff formal cabinet swearing-in
ceremonies of the past. The skirl of bagpipes accompanied the group as it made its way
on foot past the crowd outside. Inside the grand ballroom at Rideau Hall, Governor
General David Johnston presided over the formalities, while aboriginal drumming,
Mtis fiddlers, dancers and giggling Inuit throat singers punctuated the ceremony.
So did deeply personal moments.
As Trudeau was introduced by Johnston as Canadas new prime minister, his family,
new cabinet and their spouses stood and applauded. His mother Margaret wiped tears
away. Trudeau caught her eye and silently mouthed, I love you.
His father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau was twice prime minister in periods spanning the
late 1960s 70s, and 80s. Indeed, Trudeaus walk to Rideau Hall Wednesday for the
swearing-in ceremony evoked memories of the very same walk his father did on April
20, 1968 when he took the office for the first time.
Trudeau imagined his father would have been proud but said in reality he was thinking
about his own children, Xavier, Ella Grace and Hadrien. After taking several media

questions, Trudeau dove into the crowd, taking selfie pictures, mobbed by well-wishers
before returning to his new office on the third floor of Centre Block. From there,
Trudeau the social media animal participated in a Google Hangout a video
conference interactive chat with students from five schools across Canada.
After that, there was business to conduct the first cabinet meeting and a promise
to get quickly back to work.
Dominic Leblanc, Trudeaus lifelong friend and now government House leader in the
Commons, announced that Parliament will resume Dec. 3 to deal quickly with the
Liberals promised middle-class tax cuts. On Dec. 4 Trudeau will lay out his formal
agenda in a speech from the throne.

Three by three, Trudeaus cabinet ministers arrived before the parliamentary press
gallery another dramatic break from the past decade under Harpers Conservatives.
They briefly introduced themselves, expressed delight in their appointments, and
begged for patience as they get fully briefed on new jobs in the coming days.
The powerful cabinet committees and new names for their jobs hint at the focus
of Trudeaus government. Theres a committee for diversity and inclusion, another for
open and transparent and a subcommittee to deal with U.S. relations. Trudeau himself
will chair the committee on intelligence and emergency management.
Several of Trudeaus cabinet picks have harrowing and inspiring life stories.
Maryam Monsef (Peterborough-Kawartha), the first Muslim cabinet minister, is
responsible for Democratic Institutions. At 30 she is the youngest of the Trudeau
cabinet. She fled Afghanistan with her widowed mother and two sisters, came to
Canada when she was just 11, and speaks English, Farsi and Dari.
Amarjeet Sohi, the new infrastructure minister, was wrongfully imprisoned as a
terrorist in his home country of India. He spent 21 months in prison and was beaten
and tortured.
Kent Hehr, Veterans Affairs minister and associate minister of national defence, was
paralyzed in a drive-by shooting, went on to study law and become a Liberal MLA in
Alberta. His win in Calgary-Centre ended the federal Liberal drought in that city.
In a day of firsts, the oath that Trudeau and his ministers uttered was different than
those pronounced by past Conservative ministers, pledging to in all things to be
treated, debated and resolved in Privy Council faithfully, honestly and truly declare my
mind and my opinion, and to keep secret the debates that happen behind cabinet
doors.
The secrets were well kept. Outside the gates stood Jean-Luc Duclos and Monique
Blouin, parents of Trudeaus new cabinet minister for families, children and social
development Jean-Yves Duclos. Theyd flown from Quebec City, believing he was in
cabinet. But the father said his son would not reveal what job he was getting.
Were very proud of him, said the father. His mother said she had one piece of advice
for her son: Respect. Respect others.

Posted by Thavam