Prime Minister Trudeau is expected to shuffle his cabinet this week
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Ahead of a rumoured federal cabinet shuffle this week, multiple ministers announced they won’t seek re-election in their ridings.
On Tuesday, three ministers made such announcements.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, who started representing the riding of Mississauga Centre in the 2015 election, informed Canadians of his decision on social media.
Until the next election, “I will continue to serve the constituents of Mississauga Centre as their Member of Parliament,” he said in a video posted on Twitter. “As a result of this decision, I’m also stepping aside from my role as minister, because the prime minister deserves a cabinet who’s committed to running in the next federal campaign.”
Helena Jaczek, the minister of public services and procurement, isn’t running in the next federal election either.
The Member of Parliament for Markham-Stoufville since 2019 also announced her future on Twitter on Tuesday after 50 years of public service.
Helena Jaczek
“I have decided that I will not seek re-election after my current term,” she said. “I want to thank the Prime Minister for entrusting me with two Cabinet portfolios as well as including me on numerous Cabinet Committees as we debated the important issues facing Canadians.”
A third minister announced on Tuesday that she won’t run again when the next federal comes around.
Joyce Murray, the minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, made it public that she won’t seek re-election in Vancouver Quadra, a riding she’s represented since 2008.
“After much thought and reflection, I have decided not to run again in the next election after my current term,” she said on Twitter. “My work in politics and time serving my community both federally and provincially as an elected official has been the honour of my life.”
Joyce Murray
On Monday, Carolyn Bennett, the minister of mental health and addictions, and associate minister of health, announced that she won’t run again.
The MP for Toronto-St. Paul’s since 1997, told reporters of her future after announcing $156 million in federal money for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, to create 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention hotline.
“I have shared with the prime minister that I will not be seeking re-election in the next election,” she said, the National Post reported.
Carolyn Bennett
It's unknown if Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Rural Economic Development Gudie Hutchings will retain their current portfolios.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s last cabinet shuffle occurred in 2021.
It was during that shakeup that saw such changes as Anita Anand becoming minister of defence, Filomena Tassi becoming minister of public procurement and Patty Hajdu receiving the Indigenous services file.
Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Bibeau as the ag minister in a 2019 cabinet shuffle that also saw former ag minister Lawrence MacAulay moved to the veterans affairs portfolio.