(Ottawa) Finance. Foreign Affairs. Defense. International trade. Treasury Board. Social development. Employment and Workforce Development. Utilities and Procurement. Agriculture. Most important ministries in Ottawa. Ministries that are now all headed by women.
By unveiling the ministerial team that will support him in the management of state affairs, at Rideau Hall on Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has decided to entrust the strings of power to women in the federal capital. The list is impressive.
Clearly, Mr. Trudeau chose this defining moment in the early days of his new term – the formation of his cabinet – to mark the occasion. He thus renewed without saying a word his feminist profession of faith. This image, which he has cultivated since coming to power in 2015, when he formed a joint cabinet for the first time in the country’s history on the federal scene, has been scratched by the SNC-Lavalin affair and the expulsion. which followed former ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott of the Liberal caucus in the spring of 2019.
This case surfaced again during the last election campaign following the publication in September of a punch book by Jody Wilson-Raybould on his time in politics. In it, she accused Mr. Trudeau of inviting her to lie about the pressure she says she was subjected to from the Prime Minister’s Office to avoid a trial at SNC-Lavalin on charges of fraud and corruption in connection with contracts in Libya.
But the appointment of women to many key ministries within his cabinet helps to turn the page on this difficult period of his reign. Women will have a real and lasting influence in the major decisions that her government will take in the next term.
Justin Trudeau had also given a foretaste of his intentions when he announced, ten days after the Liberals’ victory in the September 20 election, that Chrystia Freeland remained at the helm of the Ministry of Finance and that she kept also his duties as Deputy Prime Minister.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister
The face of Canadian diplomacy
Tuesday, the Prime Minister caused a surprise by entrusting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Mélanie Joly, dismissing the one who had headed Canadian diplomacy for 10 months, Marc Garneau, from the Cabinet. Mme Joly is definitely popular in the Prime Minister’s office. She performed well as Minister of Economic Development during the pandemic. It also allowed the Liberal troops to maintain their gains in Quebec during the last election campaign in extremis as co-chair of the national campaign.
Mme Joly will face a steep learning curve. She will now be the face and voice of Canadian diplomacy. She will have to learn to navigate in perilous waters. Canada’s relations with China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, among other countries, are far from being in good shape. Despite the change of administration in Washington, Canada still needs to heal its relations with the United States to avoid being hit by the protectionist policies of President Joe Biden.
In front of reporters, Tuesday, Mme Joly had shown that she set out to do her homework by quoting one of the most illustrious foreign ministers in the country’s history. “I take a lot of inspiration from what Lester B. Pearson has already said, which is that with its very strong power of influence, Canada is able to play in the big leagues at the international level. “
Of course, the world has changed since Lester B. Pearson. But the goal is to have an approach to foreign affairs that will combine humility and daring.
Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
It nevertheless remains lucid in the face of certain countries. “Our eyes are wide open on the issue of China and we have no illusions. ”
Rising star
At Defense, Minister Anita Anand inherits an opaque ministry where the idea of accountability is a foreign concept. A cleaning is essential in the highest echelons of the Canadian Armed Forces because of the multiplication of allegations of sexual misconduct that have splashed several high ranking officers since the beginning of the year. Rising star of the Liberal government, Mme Anand distinguished herself during the pandemic when she was Minister of Public Services and Supply. She has achieved spectacular results in the global race to get her hands on enough doses to immunize all Canadians. And that, two months before the deadline set by the government.
“I want to make sure that the Department of Defense and the Canadian Armed Forces continue to be highly respected around the world. It is a very important institution in our country ”, said Mr.me Anand before going to Defense headquarters.
As you have seen with vaccines, I am determined, I work very hard and I am results oriented. So, these are qualities that I will bring to this file.
Anita Anand, Minister of Defense
Henceforth, men appointed to Cabinet will also report to women. This is particularly the case of Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, who will work under the orders of Chrystia Freeland. This is also the case for Harjit Sajjan, who moved from Defense to International Development, who will take his directives from Mélanie Joly. The same fate awaits the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of Defense, Laurence MacAulay, who will have to report to Anita Anand.
These three women, along with Mary Ng in International Trade, Mona Fortier in Treasury Board, Karina Gould in Social Development, Carla Qualtrough in Employment and Workforce Development, Filomena Tassi in Utilities and Supply and Marie-Claude Bibeau for Agriculture, as well as Diane Lebouthillier for National Revenue, are writing a new page of history in Canadian politics.