cabinetshuffle

Guest: Susan Delacourt, national columnist

Wednesday’s oath-taking ceremony at Rideau Hall marked one of the most significant cabinet shuffles of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s eight-year tenure, a move that’s being framed as a game changer ahead of a pivotal moment. Seven newcomers were welcomed to the front bench, seven were dropped and almost 30 out of 38 ministries saw big changes. The Liberals have positioned it as a crucial reboot of a team that will lead them to their fourth re-election. The opposition is not buying it, as ordinary Canadians are focused on the economy, health, and housing among other serious issues. Will this be enough to satisfy Canadian voters? We try to untangle the political knots.

Audio sources: CTV News, CPAC

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

The WE Charity controversy continues to rage on for the Liberal government and this week, the first victim has been claimed. Finance Minister Bill Morneau and MP of Toronto-Centre resigned from his post on Monday. And less than 24 hours after Morneau’s resignation, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is brought into the fold with a cabinet shuffle, becoming Canada’s first female finance minister. Tonda MacCharles, senior reporter on federal politics for the Toronto Star, talks to Adrian Cheung about Morneau’s resignation, the controversy Trudeau finds himself engulfed in (again), and the emerging image of a federal government sliding into crisis.