Even Conservatives like Trudeau’s gender-balanced cabinet

Trudeau said he didn’t want young people to think of themselves as leaders of tomorrow.

“Because what you do, what you say, the choices you make, how you reach out to your classmates, to your friends, your family…how you shape the community you group up in, that’s the leadership you’re showing right now. You don’t have to wait until one of you in this room – and I know that at least one of you is out there – becomes prime minister to make a difference”.

But on November 10, even We Day co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger acknowledged they had a pair of particularly special guests to introduce. The most prominent of those changes was the cabinet’s gender parity, but the cabinet ministers who swore their oaths before the Governor General also featured among their ranks a number of other firsts, including the first aboriginal Minister of Justice and the first Inuit Fisheries and Oceans Minister (who wore a sealskin to the oath taking ceremony at Rideau Hall), as well as the first Muslim minister.

Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau spoke first and told the audience that she had to overcome an eating disorder as a teenager. “We all go through hardship”, she said.

Before he entered politics, Trudeau was deeply involved in Katimavik, a charity which provided Canadians with the opportunity to take part in intensive, six-month volunteer programs. The program was cancelled by the Conservative government in 2012.

Yussuff said the event was closed to the media and Trudeau’s visit wasn’t announced at the request of the Prime Minister’s Office.

In an interview, Craig Kielburger told the Citizen that he’s anxious to see what Trudeau does with the youth portfolio.

Although the newly elected Trudeau government did issue a pro forma statement of regret over the decision by Obama, the American president’s decision clearly is not regarded as a development that will cause long-term difficulties between Trudeau and Obama in the past year of his administration.

The prime minister also welcomed a pledge from the CLC to help in dealing with climate change and the Syrian refugee crisis. “We’re going to sit down around the cabinet table and talk about the solutions that need to be put forward, what is in the best interest of Canadians, and how we are going to deliver on the promises that Canadians quite rightly expect us to keep”, said Trudeau.

Morneau, who will travel to Turkey later this week for G20 meetings, said it’s still too early for him to provide a more specific timeline for the update. “That voice has been missing now for a long time”.

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada will change to Global Affairs Canada, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada changes to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Industry Canada will change to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada will now be known as Public Services and Procurement Canada and Environment Canada will be renamed to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

After being sworn in on Wednesday, Trudeau appointed the Cabinet, which is made up of a totally gender-equal team.