Canada's new Liberal Cabinet, led by PM Justin Truedeau.
Photo by: Reuters
TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Shortly after being sworn in as Canada’s twenty-third Prime Minister on Wednesday morning, Justin Trudeau announced a new gender-equal Cabinet, including Manitoba MP James Carr as Minister of Natural Resources.
In his new capacity, Carr assumed responsibility for the natural resources portfolio, which comprised one Crown corporation, namely Atomic Energy of Canada; independent regulators, the National Energy Board and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; two offshore petroleum boards, namely the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board; the not-for-profit foundation Sustainable Development Technology Canada; and the Energy Supplies Allocation Board and the Northern Pipeline Agency.
The Natural Resources Ministry was charged with creating a sustainable resource advantage for Canadians – now and in the future – through collective efforts by all stakeholders in natural resources. According to the Ministry, each portfolio agency would play an important and unique role to help ensure a strong resource future for Canadians, through promoting growth, competitiveness and environmental leadership.
The Mining Association of Canada hailed Carr’s appointment, saying it welcomed opportunities to work together to ensure that Canada’s mining industry maintained its role as a key contributor to the economy and met the expectations of Canadians regarding its environmental and social performance.
“We congratulate Jim Carr on his appointment as Canada’s new Minister of Natural Resources. We look forward to working with the Minister and his department on policy developments as they relate to the mining sector when Parliament reopens,” the association said in an emailed statement.
Meanwhile, former executive and Toronto MP Bill Morneau was appointed Canada’s new Finance Minister, while MP and former Liberal leader Stephane Dion took on the high-profile foreign affairs portfolio. Jody Wilson-Raybould became the country’s first aboriginal Minister of Justice.
Other notable members of Trudeau’s Cabinet included Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, National Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, Transport Minister Marc Garneau, Health Minister Jane Philpott and Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna.
Vancouver-based climate and energy think tank Clean Energy Canada welcomed McKenna's appointment, applauding the federal government’s commitment to take a new approach on climate change and clean energy.
“The ministers of environment and climate change, natural resources, trade, finance, infrastructure, transport and innovation will all have key roles to play in delivering on the Liberals’ campaign promises and capitalising on Canada’s potential to expand clean energy generation, invest in cleantech innovation, grow Canada’s share of the global clean energy market, and do our part to fight climate change," executive director Merran Smith commented.
The 30 newly appointed public servants would get back to work on December 3, when Parliament is to be recalled. Trudeau would deliver his throne speech the next day, outlining the government's agenda for the session.