As the Liberal government approaches the 2019 election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet to strengthen positions on key issues without changing leadership in major portfolios. The new cabinet, now the largest under Trudeau with 35 ministers, includes five new members, primarily from the Greater Toronto Area, reflecting the importance of this region for the upcoming election. The shuffle focuses on addressing challenges such as U.S. protectionism, provincial relations concerning cannabis legalization and carbon taxation, and border security issues.

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As the Liberal government approaches the final year of its mandate, the Prime Minister has shuffled his Cabinet in anticipation of
the 2019 election. While Cabinet shuffles leading into an election year often replace ministers who are not seeking reelection, this
shuffle is aimed at bolstering the Government’s position on hot-button issues that the Liberals will seek to campaign on when
Canadians head to the polls in 2019.
As was expected, none of the large portfolios saw a leadership change – the Ministers responsible for Finance, Global Affairs, and
Climate Change and the Environment remained in their positions. The Cabinet has now grown to 35, the largest it has been under
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while still maintaining gender parity. Today saw 5 new Ministers enter Cabinet: Pablo Rodriguez,
Bill Blair, Mary Ng, Filomena Tassi, and Jonathan Wilkinson. Three of these MPs hail from the Greater Toronto Area – a region that
will prove crucial to a potential Liberal win in 2019.
The Prime Minister is taking this opportunity to respond to evolving political challenges, including US protectionism, provincial
relations (cannabis legalization, carbon tax), and border security (asylum seekers, gangs and gun violence). We expect that this
will be the cabinet that will lead the Liberals into the election in October 2019.
2018 federal cabinet shuffle
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EDELMAN OTTAWA
NEW MINISTERS
OUR PERSPECTIVE
Dominic LeBlanc
(Beauséjour, NB)
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian
Coast Guard Intergovernmental and
Northern Affairs and Internal Trade
Jim Carr
(Winnipeg South Centre, MB)
Natural Resources International
Trade Diversification
Mélanie Joly
(Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC)
Canadian Heritage Tourism, Official
Languages, and La Francophonie
Amarjeet Sohi
(Edmonton Mill Woods, AB)
Infrastructure and Communities
Natural Resources
Carla Qualtrough
(Delta, BC)
Public Services and Procurement Public
Services and Procurement and Accessibility
Francois-Phillipe Champagne
(Saint-Maurice - Champlain, QC)
International Trade Infrastructure
and Communities
Pablo Rodriguez
(Honoré-Mercier, QC)
Chief Government Whip Canadian
Heritage and Multiculturalism
Bill Blair
(Scarborough Southwest, ON)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of Canada
and to the Minister of Health Border
Security and Organized Crime Reduction
Mary Ng
(Markham - Thornhill, ON)
Small Business and Export Promotion
Filomena Tassi
(Hamilton West - Ancaster - Dundas, ON)
Deputy Government Whip Seniors
Jonathan Wilkinson
(North Vancouver, BC)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Environment and Climate Change Fisheries
Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Scott Brison
(Kings - Hants, NS)
President of the Treasury Board President of the
Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government
TOP TAKEAWAYS
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
Several high profile issues – including marijuana legalization, new pipelines and the imposition of a carbon tax – will depend on support
from provinces and several new provincial governments (B.C., Ontario) with others likely to come (Alberta, Québec). As the Minister of
Intergovernmental Relations, Dominic LeBlanc will focus on navigating and managing these relationships.
The shuffle is aimed at addressing several issues currently hampering the Liberals including:
DIVERSIFYING TRADE
In the face of growing trade tensions with the U.S. – our biggest trading partner – Jim Carr has been appointed as the renamed Minister of
International Trade Diversification. Dominic LeBlanc has also been given a new mandate to improve interprovincial trade, and Mary Ng
charged with increasing small business exports.
BORDER SECURITY
The government has lately been taking heat from provinces and municipalities over a relative increase in asylum seekers, increased gang
violence and the ongoing opioids crisis. In response, former Toronto Police Chief, Bill Blair has been appointed Minister of Border Security
and Organized Crime Reduction. Blair will also continue his role overseeing the legalization of marijuana.