Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday appointed Liberal MP from Quebec Steven MacKinnon as the new labour minister, filling the vacancy created after Seamus O’Regan stepped down for personal reasons.
MacKinnon, who has been temporarily in charge of government business in the lower house since January, takes over the labour portfolio for the Trudeau government at a time when its popularity among voters has declined due to high inflation and a lack of affordable housing.
O’Regan, who represents a constituency in the province of Newfoundland, announced his resignation on Thursday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
The surprise loss to the main opposition Conservative Party in a once-safe Toronto constituency in a special election last month has raised questions about the Trudeau government’s leadership and strategy. With nearly 15 months before the next general election, several polls show the Liberal Party will lose badly to the Conservative Party after being in power since November 2015.
Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, citing unnamed sources, reported that there were disagreements among Trudeau’s senior aides and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland over his effectiveness in the key role.
The paper also reported that Trudeau met with former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney about government hiring.
When pressed by reporters during the briefing, both Trudeau and Freeland categorically denied that any changes were coming to the Finance Department.
When asked about the matter, Trudeau said he had confidence in Freeland but did not say whether she would remain as finance minister.
Freeland, who is also deputy prime minister, declined to say whether Trudeau had assured her she would keep her job.
Trudeau has reshuffled his cabinet once since forming a minority government after the 2021 election
The Liberal leader recruited seven new members of Parliament to his Cabinet in July 2023, but bigwigs such as Freeland, Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly retained their portfolios.
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