Allez au contenuAllez à la navigation

Des changements au sein du cabinet Trudeau à la veille des élections de 2019

Feuilles d'érable
Ali Salam

Ali Salam

Andrew Richardson

Andrew Richardson

Nos spécialistes en affaires publiques et relations gouvernementales analysent le plus récent remaniement ministériel effectué par le premier ministre Justin Trudeau au sein de son cabinet à Ottawa. (L'article est en anglais).

———

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revamped his Cabinet Monday, rewarding strong performers, demoting one minister who failed to get the job done and bringing in two new faces.

The shuffle was provoked by the retirement of Treasury Board President Scott Brison and comes just months before Prime Minister Trudeau will face the Canadian electorate and seek a second majority government.

The moves signal what political watchers have been saying for some time now: the 2019 federal election campaign will be a hard fought, aggressive, clash of ideology that Canadians have not seen since the campaigns of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Here is who he is taking into battle:

Winners

Tasked with filling his shoes is Jane Philpott, who was elevated to the powerful role of Treasury Board President in recognition of her strong performance as Minister of Indigenous Services. While not top of mind for everyday Canadians, Treasury Board functions in a vital tandem with the Department of Finance and has the final word of financial appropriations in government. A new Minister presents an opportunity to reengage on projects that have stalled and reset the agenda in advance of a campaign. Initially seen as a rising star, she has cemented herself as a cabinet stalwart in her third portfolio since her initial appointment as Minister of Health in 2015. A medical doctor in her professional career, the Member of Parliament from Markham—Stouffville in the GTA’s suburbs is known for championing social causes, especially in Africa, and will bring that mindset to her new role. Interesting to watch will be how portfolios with a harder edge, such as Defence and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, fare with this new Minister wielding the government’s challenge function. A new face in the role also presents an opportunity to push for funding that speaks to social program-minded voters in an election year.

Replacing Ms. Philpott is Seamus O’Regan. He is moving over from the always contentious Veterans Affairs file. Mr. O’Regan, Newfoundland and Labrador’s representative in cabinet is being placed in a position to deliver on the good work Ms. Philpott and Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett have done in their departments. A close friend of the Prime Minister, Mr. O’Regan is a strong proponent for his home province and Atlantic Canadian interests. Promoted to his second role in Cabinet, the MP for St. John’s South—Mount Pearl will now be responsible for a larger budget and department in a file that the Prime Minister has called the “single most important relationship for the Government of Canada.”

Losers

Perhaps the most revealing move in this shuffle is the demotion of Jody Wilson-Raybould from Minister of Justice and Attorney-General to Minister of Veterans Affairs. Viewed initially as an inspired choice for her appointment in 2015, Ms. Wilson-Raybould, MP for Vancouver Granville, clashed with colleagues at times and had faced criticism over the pace of her judicial appointments in recent months. The Prime Minister’s decision to take action here demonstrates that Cabinet members will be held to a higher account leading into an election this fall.

Welcome to the party

Similarly, Mr. Trudeau’s choice of Montreal MP and McGill law professor David Lametti to replace Ms. Wilson-Raybould puts a strong performer from caucus into the fight at a time when every decision is vital and more subject to scrutiny. Elevated from his role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development following his time in the same role for the Minister of International Trade, Mr. Lametti is widely held in high regard for his measured and thoughtful approach to his work and his intellectual capacity. Mr. Lametti takes particular interest in the issues of intellectual property and copyright, having founded the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy in 2003. Representing former Prime Minister Paul Martin’s riding, the MP for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, will immediately become a leading voice at the Cabinet table on issues that extend beyond his mandate as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

Taking the departed Mr. Brison’s role as Nova Scotia’s voice at the Cabinet table is Bernadette Jordan, MP for South Shore-St. Margaret's. She is elevated to the newly-created role of Minister of Rural Economic Development. Ms. Jordan, a strong communicator in the House of Commons and a fierce advocate for Atlantic Canadians, is a smart choice for Cabinet and will bring a fresh perspective. Her appointment marks the arrival of a dedicated voice on rural issues at the Cabinet table and signals that Mr. Trudeau expects at least part of the 2019 battleground to be outside of Canadians cities, largely held by the Liberals. Focusing her role on the economic success of rural communities speaks directly to voters who have questioned if the Trudeau Government, raised to power on the votes of Big City Canada, was able to represent them as well. A confident advocate for causes she feels strongly about, such as immigration policies targeting Atlantic Canada, Jordan will have no issue speaking truth to power on issues that matter to Rural Canadians. Her appointment presents an opportunity for businesses with rural interests to find a new champion in Cabinet.

For Mr. Trudeau, there is both opportunity and risk heading into the election—on one hand, the shine from his early days as party leader has worn off with some of the electorate as a result of his decisions on oil and gas pipelines, pollution pricing through a carbon tax and nagging questions about the economy and continuing deficits. On the other hand, a resounding victory will serve to bolster the Prime Minister’s position on divisive issues such as pipelines, trade, immigration and his signature climate change policies.

The Prime Minister and his advisers are keenly aware of the stakes in the next election, which is why Monday’s shuffle was treated as more than a procedural necessity with Mr. Brison’s retirement. The Prime Minister needs not only the best policy minds around the cabinet table but strong communicators and political warriors to sell his policies and tear down the opposition. The loss of Mr. Brison—who was both—is a tough break.

Not only was Mr. Brison well-liked by members on all sides of the House of Commons, he was a witty political combatant who could take down a political opponent while never losing the smile on his face.

This cabinet shuffle makes one thing clear: Prime Minister Trudeau and his team understand the 2019 federal election will be contentious, and that elections are about more than the policies they put forward. His choice of progressive MPs from the class of 2015 to strengthen his team means the Liberals feel their left-leaning agenda is resonating and that strengthened message delivery will amplify their policies in the lead up to October. Elections can be won and lost based on the politics of the moment, and these changes set the stage for stronger communications and better mandate delivery with the arrival of a few more happy warriors ready to defend the government’s record.

For further insights on how to connect your message with those in Government ask our Public Affairs team how we can help ensure your voice is heard.

——— Ali Salam était vice-président principal, Affaires publiques au Cabinet de relations publiques NATIONAL

——— Andrew Richardson était directeur adjoint, Politiques et stratégiea au Cabinet de relations publiques NATIONAL