On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would retain Liberal incumbent Chrystia Freeland as Canada's finance minister and deputy prime minister, marking his first cabinet appointment following a controversial election call during a pandemic.
Freeland has been the federal finance minister since August 20, 2020, after her predecessor Bill Morneau stepped down during the WE Charity scandal.
She is the first female to hold the portfolio in Canada.
Trudeau maintained his desire Tuesday to have an equal number of women and men in his cabinet, reported iPolitics.
We’re going to finish the fight against COVID-19, and we’re going to build a stronger country for everyone. Tune in now for the latest on how we’ll get the job done: https://t.co/UBuG49hjBC
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 28, 2021
"It is a base starting point that we have gender parity in any cabinet I put together," he said.
Three female cabinet ministers — Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef, and Seniors Minister Deb Schulte — were defeated on September 20, falling shy of the deadline to qualify for a $71,000 annual parliamentary pension.
In June, Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna announced she wouldn't seek re-election.
The prime minister has four spots open at the cabinet table, permitting any additions to its 36 members.
Trudeau said the remaining cabinet appointments would be made in October, with Parliament set to resume by the end of Fall.
"The exact dates still to be worked out, but we are busy getting into the business of delivering on an ambitious agenda," he said.
Trudeau also emphasized "proper regional distribution" in his next cabinet, having gained two seats in Alberta though none in Saskatchewan.
Former Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault won in Edmonton Centre by 577 votes, and George Chahal won handily in Calgary Skyview.
Chahal is under investigation by Calgary police for tampering with one of Conservative candidate Jag Sahota's election door signs after a video went viral on social media.
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