Qualtroughgetssportportfolioinfedcabinetshuffle

IAN JACQUES

ijacques@delta-optimist com

Delta’s MP has a new portfolio after a significant federal cabinet shuffle in Ottawa

On Wednesday (July 26), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his new Ministry.

Two-thirds of cabinet portfolios have switched hands, with seven rookie ministers coming in to replace the seven ministers who are leaving. Five of the new ministers represent constituencies in Ontario, one is from British Columbia and one from Quebec.

The Liberal government is selling the reset as a renewal that centres on the middle-class, growing the economy and creating jobs.

“We have the right team, made up of accomplished people who reflect the diversity and talent of our country,” said Trudeau in a statement. “Together, we will keep building a strong future for the middle class, and for all Canadians”

There are 38 ministers, including Trudeau, and half of them are women Delta MP Carla Qualtrough becomes the new Minister of Sport and Physical Activity a position she held back in 2015 Canada had never had a sport minister like Qualtrough when she was first appointed to that portfolio and to persons with disabilities portfolio in 2015.

The Paralympic athlete, visually impaired lawyer and mother of four arrived from positions of sport leadership, including president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and chair

Qualtrough has been Trudeau’s minister of employment and disability inclusion since 2019 and oversaw public services and procurement from 2017 to 2019

Qualtrough told the Optimist that it’s a welcome change

“It’s exciting and it’s a little tough For me I had the employment file for four years during the biggest public health and economic crisis of our lifetime and it was a real honour to help steer the country through those tough times and position us for an economic recovery, ” she said. “For me being Canada’s first ever disability minister so proud of everything that we did letting that go is a bit tough. Even though it is bigger than me, one minister, for so long government over- looked disabilities, but I know the work will continue and luckily for me, I’m moving onto a ministry that I’m equally as passionate about.”

Qualtrough said there is much work to be done in the Canadian sport portfolio

“I’m worried that the trust in our system is being eroded because there are a lot of tough issues with regards to the human rights phase,” she said. “Equality, rights, safety, fairness are all things that need to be addressed Canadians are facing tough times around the economy. Sport is that place where a lot of us find escape and we need it to be safe, we need to know that our kids are going someplace safe. We need to fix this system and I want to be a part of that.”