Federal Cabinet Changes & MB's New Premier

November, 2021

By: Prospectus Associates 

Federal Cabinet Changes

On October 26, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled his new cabinet, with retirements and a few ministers unable to re-take their seats there where a lot of new faces and many position changes. Western Canada is better represented in this new cabinet. Here are a few of our local ministers as well as key departments. The WRLA will engage with our new reginal ministers as well as continue to advocate with the new ministers in Transportation and Natural Resources.

Winnipeg’s Dan Vandal returns as Minister of Northern Affairs, and also has responsibility for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. Jim Carr did not return to either a cabinet or advisory role. 

Saskatchewan elected all opposition Conservative MPs, resulting in no representation in cabinet.

Alberta’s Randy Boissonnault became Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance.  Mr. Boissonnault was elected in 2015, defeated in 2019 and reclaimed the seat in the September election. 

Ontario MP Omar Alghabra kept the role of Minister of Transport in the recent cabinet shuffle, having assumed it in January 2021 during a previous shuffle.

BC’s Jonathan Wilkinson moved from Environment to Natural Resources in the new federal cabinet. 

Swearing-in of Manitoba’s First Female Premier

After a 21-year career as an MLA, Minister and Deputy Premier, Heather Stefanson was sworn-in as the first female premier in the province’s history. A cabinet shuffle is expected in coming days, but Premier Stefanson is moving quickly to assume her new duties.

There is an element of doubt in the air, given the potential of missing ballots and a challenge by the rival leadership campaign of former Harper-era Minister Shelly Glover. Glover’s team had written to Lieutenant Governor Janice Filmon in an attempt to delay the swearing-in, and her campaign is pursuing legal avenues to challenge the result. 

Stefanson was elected as MLA for Tuxedo in 2000. Prior to her elected service, she worked as an assistant to Mila Mulroney in the latter years of the federal Progressive Conservative government. She also worked as an investment advisor in Winnipeg. The Premier holds a degree from Western University. 

In her remarks after taking the oath of office, Stefanson noted she will follow principles of equality, inclusivity and understanding. She committed to forward steps toward reconciliation and healing wounds. Regarding the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the premier noted that she will take immediate steps to enhance ICU capacity and winnow down surgical backlogs.   She noted additional efforts that will be taken to assist businesses enhance productivity, and where needed, how the government will get out of the way.

The premier has said she will reconvene the Legislative Assembly this fall, with a date to be determined once she meets with her cabinet (which at this time remains the same). The WRLA will monitor any changes to the Manitoba Cabinet and engage in outreach with the appropriate ministers to inform them on our priorities and industry initiatives.

Changes to Federal Income-Support Measures

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland recently announced changes to income support measures. The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) has been replaced by the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit for those whose work is directly impacted by government-imposed lockdowns. The CRB concluded on October 23, however, for eligible individuals, they can only apply for open CRB periods, up to 60 days after each period has ended. The last period for the CRB is period 28 (October 10 to 23, 2021) which will be open for applications until December 22, 2021.

The program will be available until May 7, 2022, retroactive to Oct. 24, and will provide $300 per week to eligible workers.

The Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program and the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program will also be available until May 7, 2022.

The former, which would apply to operations such as hotels, restaurants, bars, festivals and travel agencies, requires applicants to show an average monthly revenue loss of at least 40 per cent for the first 13 qualifying periods of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and a revenue loss of the same amount in the current month.

Until mid-March, 2022, the subsidy rate would reflect the revenue decline, up to 75 per cent, and then decline by half until the program’s expiration.