BR Cabinet Shuffle – CP

Source: The Canadian Press – Broadcast wire
Aug 29, 2017

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shaken up his cabinet — with a special emphasis on Indigenous Affairs.

In the most dramatic move, Trudeau split Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada into two departments and appointed Jane Philpott to one of them — Indigenous Services.

Carolyn Bennett will stay on in the portfolio, but will concentrate on Crown issues and nation building with Indigenous Peoples.

Philpott leaves the health portfolio, where she showed her mettle negotiating new health-care agreements with the provinces and stickhandling the emotionally charged issue of medical assistance in dying.

The new arrangement is a move billed as ending the “colonial” approach to Indigenous Peoples, with the ultimate goal of encouraging self-government and doing away with the old Indian Act.

Trudeau also named rookie M-P and former television host Seamus O’Regan, to the veterans affairs post, replacing Kent Hehr, who has been criticized for dragging his feet on a promise to restore lifelong disability pensions for injured ex-soldiers.

Hehr replaces Carla Qualtrough as minister of sport and persons with disabilities while Qualtrough takes over from Judy Foote in public services.

Another rookie backbencher, New Brunswick’s Ginette Pettipas Taylor, takes over the health portfolio.

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(The Canadian Press)

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