Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay to return as minister of agriculture
P.E.I.’s solely voice on the federal cupboard desk can be switching portfolios and returning to a well-known function.
In a ceremony at Rideau Corridor on July 26, Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay was named the brand new minister of agriculture and agri-food.
MacAulay was not current on the ceremony, as his brother has lately died.
MacAulay will exchange Marie-Claude Bibeau, who will turn out to be minister of nationwide income. MacAulay was additionally Bibeau’s predecessor within the function, having served as agriculture minister from 2015 to 2019.
MacAulay has served as minister of veterans affairs and affiliate minister of nationwide defence since 2019.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, MP for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe in New Brunswick, will exchange MacAulay as minister of veterans affairs and affiliate minister of nationwide defence.
Atlantic MPs stay
All present cupboard members in Atlantic Canada have been both given new portfolios or have been given new tasks. The cupboard shuffle is extensively considered as essentially the most vital shuffle of the federal government of Justin Trudeau since 2021. Trudeau’s Liberal social gathering has been trailing the Federal Conservative Get together, lead by Pierre Poilievre, in current opinion polls.
Dominic LeBlanc, MP for Beauséjour in New Brunswick, would be the new minister of public security, democratic establishments and intergovernmental affairs.
Sean Fraser, MP for Central Nova in Nova Scotia, will take over the portfolio of housing, infrastructure and communities, beforehand held by Toronto MP Ahmed Hussen.
Gudie Hutchings, MP for Lengthy Vary Mountains in Newfoundland and Labrador, will keep the portfolio of rural financial improvement. Hutchings will even take over the function of minister answerable for the Atlantic Canada Alternatives Company (ACOA), a job beforehand held by Petitpas Taylor.
“One among his key points have to be to revive our fame within the potato trade in whole and regain our seed markets world wide.”
Former Malpeque MP Wayne Easter
Seamus O’Regan, MP for St. John’s South-Mount Pearl, will retain the function of minister of labour, however will even assume the function of minister of seniors.
The total listing of Trudeau’s new cupboard will be discovered here. Trudeau and his new cupboard is anticipated to journey to Charlottetown for a retreat in late August.
SaltWire requested an interview with MacAulay. In an e-mail, a consultant from Veterans Affairs Canada advised SaltWire MacAulay was unavailable as he was spending the week with household.
‘He is aware of the portfolio’
Former Malpeque Member of Parliament Wayne Easter served with MacAulay for a few years earlier than retiring forward of the final election.
“He is aware of the portfolio. He is been there earlier than,” Easter mentioned of MacAulay.
“He is a cupboard minister with expertise.”
However Easter mentioned one in all MacAulay’s largest challenges can be restoring worldwide confidence in P.E.I.’s potato trade after a bruising border dispute with america authorities through the fall of 2021 and winter of 2022. The Canadian authorities halted commerce of P.E.I. recent potatoes after a handful of detections of potato wart within the province.
Though the U.S. border was reopened to P.E.I. recent potatoes, P.E.I. seed potato producers stay shut out of any off-Island markets.
“One among his key points have to be to revive our fame within the potato trade in whole and regain our seed markets world wide,” Easter mentioned.
“This complete dilemma was brought on by an company which is now beneath Lawrence’s management, and that is the Canadian Meals Inspection Company.”
Easter additionally expressed confidence with Quebec MP Diane Lebouthillier, who will take over as fisheries minister from B.C. MP Joyce Murray. Lebouthillier represents the district of Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine
“Their most essential trade in Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine is the fisheries. So, she comes right into a portfolio which the trade is of the very best precedence in her personal using,” Easter mentioned.
Ferry challenges loom
The cupboard shuffle comes after P.E.I. skilled weeks of disruption to the ferry crossing between Caribou, N.S., and Wooden Islands, P.E.I. Omar Alghabra, outgoing transportation minister, had been lobbied extensively by MacAulay and P.E.I. Premier Dennis King, who’ve each mentioned the province wants a long-term resolution for the ferry crossing.
Don Desserud, a professor of political science at UPEI, says many Islanders will look to Pablo Rodriguez, the incoming transportation minister, to make sure the disruption isn’t repeated.
“My concern all the time with ministers who’ve these portfolios, who usually are not from this area, is do they perceive what meaning right here?” Desserud mentioned.
“The ferry isn’t a little bit vacation boat. It is a main transportation hyperlink,” Desserud mentioned.
Easter mentioned he believes cupboard shuffles are “an exquisite factor.”
The eight-term MP additionally provided some recommendation to the crop of recent ministers in Trudeau’s authorities.
“The important thing can be permitting ministers to have their very own head and their very own thoughts and run their departments and never be run by the girls and boys in brief pants within the Prime Minister’s Workplace,” Easter mentioned.
Stu Neatby is a political reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He will be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @stu_neatby.
