OTTAWA — Stephen Harper has unveiled the first cabinet of his majority government, bringing in several new faces and promoting veteran political pitbull John Baird to foreign affairs.
The prime minister increased the size of the country’s board of directors by one member, tying it with Brian Mulroney’s cabinet as the biggest ever.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Defence Minister Peter MacKay are among the veterans keeping their posts.
Baird replaces Lawrence Cannon, who was defeated in the May 2 election.
Among the newcomers being sworn in at Rideau Hall are Peter Penashue — the lone Conservative from Newfoundland and Labrador — as intergovernmental affairs minister.
Maxime Bernier, one of only five Tories elected in Quebec, returns to cabinet in a junior role as minister of state for small business and tourism after a three-year exile.
He was booted from cabinet in 2008 after losing secret documents.
Rookie Ed Fast from B.C. is the country’s new trade minister.
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Few new faces, some promotions change look of federal cabinet list
THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — The new federal cabinet in order of precedence after Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony:
Stephen Harper — Prime Minister
Rob Nicholson — Justice and Attorney General
Marjory LeBreton — Leader of the Government in the Senate
Peter MacKay — Defence
Vic Toews — Public Safety
Rona Ambrose — Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Status of Women
Diane Finley — Human Resources and Skills Development
Bev Oda — International Co-operation
John Baird — Foreign Affairs
Tony Clement — President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Jim Flaherty — Finance
Peter Van Loan — Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Jason Kenney — Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
Gerry Ritz — Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Christian Paradis — Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
James Moore — Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Denis Lebel — Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Leona Aglukkaq — Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Keith Ashfield — Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway
Peter Kent — Environment
Lisa Raitt — Labour
Gail Shea — National Revenue
John Duncan — Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Steven Blaney — Veterans Affairs
Edward Fast — International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
Joe Oliver — Natural Resources
Peter Penashue — Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada
Julian Fantino — Associate Minister of National Defence
Bernard Valcourt — Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
Gordon O’Connor — Minister of State and Chief Government Whip
Maxime Bernier — Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Diane Ablonczy — Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs)
Lynne Yelich — Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification)
Steven Fletcher — Minister of State (Transport)
Gary Goodyear — Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Ted Menzies — Minister of State (Finance)
Tim Uppal — Minister of State (Democratic Reform)
Alice Wong — Minister of State (Seniors)
Bal Gosal — Minister of State (Sport)
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I'm only guessing here but,when you say the rest of the country got it so wrong and Nfld so right could you be refering to the fact that Nfld (The Island) voted NDP or Liberal but the rest of the country excluding Quebec, voted mostly Conservative.If so, you surely got it quite wrong,in the first place Nfld has a good economy due to natural resourses, like Alberta,second due to Conservative policy,as proof if you look across the counrty liberal and ndp goverments are running their provinces into the ground and where Conservative goverments rule things are good,its just that simple.So how could it be smart for Nfld to have voted ndp/lib given these facts.To many people just follow along and do whatever, everyone else does,surely if one thinks for themselves they can see Harper is and will be a better PM than anyother we have had for the last 40 years,so he may not be perfect but he is doing a good job and Canadians who can think for themselves saw it and voted accordingly.Your statment just doesn't hold up,it may be what you wanted but it will not be what's best for Nfld,to the victor go the spoils and if Harper now ignores Nfld would anyone be surprised.Thank god the good people of Labardor were out of touch with the rest of Nfld or we'd have no one to speak for Nfld around the cabinet table.As Nfld carries on the Williams ABC crap who do you think will suffer,that's how it works like it or not,the Conservatives will be in power for a very long time and if anyone thinks the ndp will ever form goverment they are dreaming.So if Nflders wish to be on the outside looking in with loser MP's that can't get anything done i guess that their choice.