Francois-Philippe Champagne Replaces Navdeep Bains At Innovation, Science & Industry
Prime Minister Trudeau recently announced changes in the federal cabinet following the resignation of long-serving Minster of Innovation, Science & Technology Minister Navdeep Bains. The changes included:
• Veteran MP and former astronaut Marc Garneau moves from Transport to Foreign Affairs
• Current Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne becomes Minister of Innovation, Science & Technology. Champagne represents the rural Quebec riding of Saint Maurice.
• Mississauga Centre MP Omar Alghabra joins the cabinet as Minister of Transport.
• Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr re-joins cabinet as Minister without Portfolio and Special representative for the Prairies. Minister Carr had taken a leave from cabinet to address health issues and now returns.
The cabinet shuffle was initiated by the resignation from cabinet of Navdeep Bains, MP for Mississauga-Malton (where the CA offices are located), who indicated that he will not be running in the next election as he wished to spend more time with his young family. Minister Bains has been a long-serving Mississauga area MP and well respected cabinet Minister. He has carried a heavy Ministerial load with responsibility for innovation and industry/economic development since the election of the Trudeau government in 2015 and, having a young family, his decision to retire from politics at the next election is not unexpected.
Recent intelligence from Ottawa also suggests that with the possibility of a spring federal election (should the Liberal minority government be defeated on a vote of confidence or decide to go to the people for a majority mandate), various cabinet minsters considering retirement may be announcing their departure to allow the Prime Minister to replace them with MP’s who will be seeking re-election. As the political situation is quite fluid, there is the possibility of further retirements and a larger cabinet shuffle. These actions are not unexpected for any government who would be seeking a third term.
None of today’s announcements are expected to have an impact on any of our industry’s priority issues with the federal government. CA will also be reaching out to congratulate Minister Alghabra as a local Mississauga MP who is already fairly familiar with our industry.
-Your CA Team
