Brampton MP Ruby Sahota joins Cabinet as Trudeau inducts new faces

Ruby Sahota. / Facebook/Ruby Sahota

With the induction of Brampton MP Ruby Sahota, the number of South Asians in the 38-member Cabinet of Justin Trudeau has gone up to six. She will be the Minister for Democratic Institutions and Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Never before have MPs of South Asian descent had such a good representation in the federal Cabinet. Questions were being asked about the longevity of the reshuffled Cabinet as all the three Opposition parties – Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and New Democrats – are out baring their knives to kill the government at the first possible opportunity.

The American threat of a 25 percent tariff looms large in the air as President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to assume office on Jan.20, 2025.

After Ruby Sahota’s inclusion, other MPs of South Asian descent on the Canadian Cabinet are Anita Anand, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, as she sheds the portfolio of President of the Treasury (that goes to Ginette Petitpas Taylor), Jaffna-born Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, and Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced changes to the Ministry, in his declared intent to continue till the next federal election in October of next year, both the Leader of Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, and the Liberals ally,  Jagmeet Singh of New Democrats, made clear their stands to bring down the minority Liberal government at the early possible opportunity to force an early election.

Pierre Poilievre, who earlier in the day taunted the NDP leader Jagmeet Singh for his open letter to the Canadians, took to X to say that he has written to the Governor-General “confirming that the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the House and that Parliament must be recalled to hold a vote before the end of the year on triggering an Axe The Tax election. I am asking the NDP leader to match his actions to his word and send a letter to Her Excellency asking for the same.”

In an earlier post on X, Pierre Poilievre said: “Ha! Now that Parliament is closed there is no chance to introduce any motion for months—until after you get your pension. You did the same stunt in September, claiming you would no longer prop Trudeau up. Then you went back on your word and voted 8 times against an election and for your boss Trudeau. Just 11 days ago you voted against a non-confidence motion filled with your own words. Had you voted the other way, we would be almost halfway through the election now. Only Common Sense Conservatives can and will replace this costly NDP-Liberal clown show.”

Hours before the swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall, Jagmeet Singh took to X and announced that “Justin Trudeau failed in the biggest job a Prime Minister has: to work for people, not the powerful. The NDP will vote to bring this government down, and give Canadians a chance to vote for a government who will work for them.”

In an open letter to Canadians that he shared on X, Jagmeet Singh said that he “called Justin Trudeau to resign and he should. He cannot fix health care. He cannot build homes you can afford. He cannot lower your bills.”

“I have always fought like hell to get dental care, free birth control and diabetes medication. I did not give up when Justin Trudeau said no. And I won’t let Pierre Poilievre take it all away.

“The next fight is a big one. Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives will give CEOs and big businesses anything they want, and make callous cuts to pay for it. They will cut health care, child care, housing and people’s pensions.”

The new ministry

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s office released a statement saying that the new Ministry will deliver on what matters most.

It said “Building on the work done since 2015 to invest in Canadians, the team will continue to move forward on housing, child care, and school food while working to put more money back in people’s pockets”.

The changes to the Ministry are as follows:

Anita Anand becomes Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, Gary Anandasangaree becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Steven MacKinnon becomes Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and Ginette Petitpas Taylor becomes President of the Treasury Board.

The Prime Minister also welcomed the following new members to the Ministry: Rachel Bendayan becomes Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety,  Élisabeth Brière becomes Minister of National Revenue, Terry Duguid becomes Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Nate Erskine-Smith becomes Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Darren Fisher becomes Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, David J. McGuinty becomes Minister of Public Safety,·       Ruby Sahota becomes Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, and Joanne Thompson becomes Minister of Seniors.

“These new ministers will work with all members of Cabinet to deliver real, positive change for Canadians”.

They join the following ministers remaining in their portfolio:

• Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens’ Services
• Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence
• François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
• Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant
• Karina Gould, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
• Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
• Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
• Mark Holland, Minister of Health
• Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development
• Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
• Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
• Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
• Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
• Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
• Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
• Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
• Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
• Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
• Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
• Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage
• Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
• Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business
• Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
• Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources