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| Canada's new Federal Cabinet November 4, 2015 |
Yesterday, with the media collective in a particularly giddy mood we received the first glimpses of those to be charged with Ministerial portfolios, the backdrop of Rideau Hall providing at times what seemed like the Beatles have arrived at La Guardia kind of vibe to the day.
Which we imagine makes CBC anchor Peter Mansbridge Canada's new version of Murray the K. (look it up kids, look it up)
Mr. Mansbridge's exclusive access to the new Prime Minister has made for a fair bit of news itself over the last 24 hours and as might be expected, some of it calls out the Senior Anchor for the people's Television Network.
When a cloying Peter Mansbridge became too much for even Trudeau to take
CBC must hold Trudeau to account
For those that may have been looking for a balanced look at the changing of the guard for Canadian Politics on Wednesday, well, maybe somewhere else, some other time is all we can say.
While CBC, CTV and Global got a little carried away with their over the top joy at a new government for the Ottawa beat, the actual heft of Mr. Trudeau's Cabinet does offer up some cautious optimism.
Despite the relative inexperience in politics for some of the new ministers of the Crown, the real life background for many could make for some effective governance over the course of the four year mandate. Offering up a new narrative and even if only temporarily, a new sense of change from what Canadians may have found over the last ten years.
The Prime Minister appears to have touched a few of the right chords in the construction of his Parliamentary composition, offering Canadians more than a few fascinating biographies to mull over as we await the start of the new Liberal era in December.
Mr. Trudeau himself provided the introduction to the new era for the public by way of an Open Letter to Canadians.
As for the thirty faces he will gather together around the Cabinet table over the weeks and months to come, while the veterans such as Ralph Goodale, Stephane Dion, John McCallum, Scott Brison, Marc Garneau and Lawrence MacAulay are familiar to Canadians (some perhaps bringing a wee bit of baggage from their last time around a Cabinet table) it's the new class of 2015 that is probably where Canadians will be most intrigued.
The Prime Minister's trust in new faces is most apparent in some of the key portfolio's where Mr. Trudeau appears to have done some of his best research while matching candidates to positions.
For Finance, one of the most important of Portfolios Mr. Trudeau turned to William Morneau, who claimed the Toronto Centre riding for the Liberals. With experience with a consulting and outsourcing firm, the family firm actually, some might wonder what traits make the new MP the likely choice for Finance.
Perhaps it was his time at the London School of Economics, his MBA from INSEAD or his time as chair of the C. D. Howe Institute, all of which may give him a more global view of Canada's place in the Financial world.
A strength in pension planning seems to be his main calling card, which might bring comfort to those getting a little older, dreams of Freedom 55 still alive for the youngsters coming up the path. However, his choice was perhaps the biggest surprise of Cabinet Day and will most likely be the one that cabinet watchers will be watching closely and talking about much as the new team finds its feet.
Foreign Affairs a rather battered Ministry over the last decade or so will be turned over to Stephane Dion for nurturing, the one time leader of the party who faced one of its hardest falls from grace with the voters gets a nice bounce back into the spotlight, with the one portfolio that Canadians probably hope to see rejuvenated with the Liberal Party.
He was the past author of the Liberal's Kyoto plans and the Clarity Act, so has served the party faithfully in years gone by in tough portfolios, rebuilding the Canadian brand will be the focus of his work on the International stage
The Liberals will be quick to note that International Trade is not the permanent domain of the Conservative party and with Chrystia Freeland they certainly are looking to reinforce the notion that Canada is a trading nation.
Ms. Freeland who when she wasn't appearing as a guest on Bill Maher's HBO Program, has developed a finely tuned CV. One that is strong on International trade and no doubt provides for a deep understanding of how political events impact on trade, she comes to the Cabinet table with a strength in international media and some impressive education credits from her early days.
The Environment is back on the political front burner and while Stephane Dion may have moved on to a larger challenge, the Liberal view of how to deal with Environmental issues is as easy to see as the new name for the Ministry, which is now known as Environment and Climate Change. The office turned over to Catherine McKenna, the Liberal who upset NDP star Paul Dewar on election night.
And while a reading of her thumbnail sketch suggests that she perhaps would have been better used in an international trade or investment situation, perhaps her exposure to global initiatives is where Mr. Trudeau believes the path ahead for the Environment may be.
Tied into the renewed emphasis on the Environment, the Prime Minister is also directing our attention to a new day for Science (something that we suspect was designed with the previous government in mind) with Kristy Duncan tasked with bringing Science out of the time out room of the last few years and into it's own Ministry.
She takes up her position with a fair bit of experience on the theme and with what appears to be a passion for action on climate change. Something which we suspect means that she and Ms McKenna are going to be a tag team on the issue as the Liberals work out their policies ahead.
One Cabinet Minister who may find the phone never stops ringing will be Amarjeet Sohi, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, it will be through his office that the Liberal Government will introduce its ambitious infrastructure plan for cities and towns across the country.
Making Mr. Sohi, the guy that every Mayor in every community will be looking to get in touch with, making a case for for sewers, bridges, water plants and all those sexy things that make local government percolate. He also will be the person in charge of the Governments Dr. No Department, denying funding for some and at some point taking the heat when municipalities find that the pot of gold does have limitations.
Defence, it's a portfolio that is always said to be an important one to any Government, but for the most part is the one that seems to get the most amount of rhetoric and the least amount of real assistance. We have no idea if that dynamic is going to change under Mr. Trudeau's government, but his choice of a new Defence Minister has certainly caught the imagination of the nation, with the selection of Harjit Singh Sajjan as the new boss for the nations Sailors, Soldiers and Air Personnel.
Mr. Sajjan comes to his duties with some impressive credentials, the most important being that he knows of the struggles of the ranks, having come from them. Much has already been made of his tours of Afghanistan and Bosnia-Herzegovina as a member of the Canadian Army, the fact that the Canadian Armed Forces are now led by someone that has seen combat probably is as good a morale boost as our often forgotten forces could ever have hoped for. As a bonus, we suspect that Minister Sajjan probably has a better understanding of what's important and what isn't and has no intention of ever using a helicopter for personnel use. Say for instance to rescue he and his friends from any fishing trips ...
Perhaps the one Cabinet appointment that may provide for long lasting impact on not only the Prime Minister but on the way the Government is received across the nation comes from Justice, where Mr. Trudeau has made a bold statement, by appointing Jody Wilson-Raybould as Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada. The selection instantly makes Ms. Wilson-Raybould the most important Federal politician in British Columbia and perhaps all of Western Canada.
As a former lawyer and Crown Prosecutor she will bring an approach from the front lines to the twin portfolios and is sure to provide some new ways of looking at the Ministry. As a member of the We Wai Kai Nation and through a long association with First Nations issues in British Columbia she brings that experience to the Federal level and may soon be the most important voice when it comes to engagement between First Nations and the Federal Government.
That alone probably makes for added pressure on a new MP, but a review of her background would suggest that she is more than up for such challenges. She clearly has impressed the Prime Minister who has also added her to six different committees.
Of the thirty selections for the Cabinet from Wednesday, the choice of Ms. Wilson-Raybould is one that could be one of those decisions that define the government for the next four years. It certainly offers the opportunity to send a strong signal that the Federal government will be taking on a different look from that of the past, set to address a number of long simmering issues and following through on a promise of change.
There are of course many other portfolios and Ministers to take note of, some perhaps auditioning for larger roles in the future, while others should they fall short, surely destined to be replaced by a very strong Liberal back bench.
The full list of the Class of 2015 can be examined here.
Over the next four years we imagine that the enthusiasm over the debut of the thirty new Ministers will begin to fade. At some point down the road some will shine at their new duties, auditions perhaps for larger roles in the future.
For others the path ahead may bring a very different reality, as political stumbles and falls surely destined to be replaced by a very strong Liberal back bench.
Such is the nature of politics that at some point, there will come a time, when the top story of the day or headlines will scream out at us and we'll no doubt be asking in our outdoor voice, what was it that Mr. Trudeau thinking.
Those that shine will see their political star rise in a city, though perhaps it's best that those new to the nation's capital keep in mind that they are now in a city that just as quickly can bring them down to earth.
Still on Day One, like the first day of school, everyone is ambitious and ready to tackle the world, the board is clean, but the hard work is about to get underway!
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