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Canada  

Trudeau shuffles deck

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shuffle his front benches this morning and some familiar faces are slated to take on new cabinet portfolios.

Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr have all arrived at Rideau Hall, which signals they will be part of the shuffle.

Trudeau will unveil his updated roster of ministers to lead the Liberal team into the 2019 election.

The shuffle will also expand Trudeau's cabinet by adding new posts to showcase up-and-coming MPs and to broaden the profile of a party that has long pinned its fortunes to the Trudeau brand.

Toronto Liberal MP Bill Blair and North Vancouver's Jonathan Wilkinson have arrived at the Governor General's residence and they are expected to get promotions to the front benches.

The shuffle appears designed to ensure deft communicators are well-placed to deal with hot issues leading up to next year's election campaign as well as navigating shifting political dynamics in the provinces, including the recent election of Ontario's Progressive Conservative government.

Insiders have also indicated there's a possibility Ottawa will appoint a minister dedicated to seniors, a post that once existed in past federal cabinets.

The mid-summer shakeup will give ministers a couple of months to get up to speed on their new portfolios before they return to Parliament this fall.

Nearly three years into its four-year mandate, the Liberal government has few remaining opportunities to rejig its cabinet lineup.



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