Recently we saw the new cabinet sworn into parliament and I am excited for some of the changes that have been made.
A few of the key ministers I will be keeping my eye on are the combination of Steven Guilbeault and Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of the Environment and Minister of Natural Resources respectively.
During my campaign as the Liberal Party of Canada candidate for the North Okanagan-Shuswap, I had a chance to hear the two of them discuss the climate portfolio and together they make a wonderful team.
I believe Wilkinson will shine in his role as Minister of Natural Resources as this position will allow him to do the work that he discussed during the campaign such as the Just Transition Act, which will allow us to move to green energy while protecting jobs and even increasing jobs in the energy sector.
Read more: Trudeau shuffles cabinet as Bains plans to retire from politics
The other appointment I am extremely excited about is of Anita Anand, formerly the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, as the new Minister of National Defence. In light of the past year of sexual misconduct allegations, many people hoped for a woman to be put into the role of Minister of National Defence, and I believe they made the right decision with Minister Anand. She has shown that she can work strategically, work under pressure and make big decisions, and she has already expressed her determination to dedicate her energies towards the fight against sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed forces.
I am also keeping an eye on Patty Hajdu as the Minister of Indigenous Services, formerly the Minister of Health who oversaw the COVID-19 pandemic. Marc Miller, formerly in this role, was moved to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. Together, with Minister Miller’s experience on the portfolio and Minister Hajdu’s ability to navigate a sensitive portfolio, I believe we are going to see some solid action towards Truth and Reconciliation.
Shelley Desautels
newsroom@saobserver.net
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