From veteran MPs to political newbies, CTVNews.ca has compiled some facts and biographical information about Justin Trudeau's cabinet.
CAROLYN BENNETT
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
Riding: Toronto-St. Paul鈥檚 (Ontario)
Age: 66
First elected to parliament: 1997
Past profession: Family physician
Social media: ( / )
Previously the sole minister responsible for northern affairs ahead of the Aug. 28, 2017 cabinet shuffle. Bennett has held the seat of Toronto-St. Paul鈥檚 (formerly just St. Paul鈥檚) since 1997. She is a former family physician and professor at the University of Toronto.
Bennett ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 2006, but withdrew to throw her support behind Bob Rae. Before 2015, Bennett served as the Liberal party's critic for aboriginal affairs and northern development.
Fact: Bennett is the author of 鈥淜ill or Cure? How Canadians Can Remake their Health Care System,鈥� published in October 2000, and served as Minister of State for Public Health under Paul Martin.
JANE PHILPOTT
Minister of Indigenous Services
Riding: Markham-Stouffville (Ontario)
Age: 56
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Family physician
Social media: ( /)
Formerly the minister of health before the Aug. 28, 2017 cabinet shuffle, Philpott was a family doctor at the Markham Stouffville Hospital since 1988. She also served as the hospitals鈥� chief of the Department of Family Medicine, and is an associate professor at the University of Toronto鈥檚 Department of Family and Community Medicine.
She worked in Niger from 1989 to 1998, where she practiced general medicine and helped develop a training program for local health workers.
Fact: Philpott is the founder of Give a Day to World AIDS, an organization that has raised $4 million for people affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.
CARLA QUALTROUGH
Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Riding: Delta (British Columbia)
Age: 45
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Lawyer
Social media: ( /)
Previously the minister of sport and persons with disabilities, before the Aug. 28, 2017 cabinet shuffle.
A lawyer by training, Qualtrough has a background in human rights, inclusion and sport. She has worked as the vice-chair of the Workers鈥� Compensation Appeal Tribunal of B.C.and legal counsel for the B.C.Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
She competed in the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games, winning three medals in swimming. She remains involved in the world of sport, serving for four years as the president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Fact: Qualtrough has been visually impaired since birth.
KENT HEHR
Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities
Riding: Calgary Centre (Alberta)
Age: 47
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Lawyer and MLA
Social media: ( / )
Formerly minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence, before the Aug. 28, 2017 cabinet shuffle.
Hehr comes from a family of educators 鈥� the son of a teacher and school principal. He grew up in Calgary, where he played hockey for the Calgary Canucks and Mount Royal University Cougars, and envisioned a future as an athlete. But Hehr鈥檚 life changed forever in 1991 when he was a struck in a drive-by shooting at the age of 21. The injury left him a quadriplegic.
Despite his injuries, he completed his schooling to become a lawyer. In 2008, he ran for the Alberta Liberals in Calgary-Buffalo and won a seat at the provincial legislature. Hehr also mounted a mayoral race in Calgary鈥檚 2010 muncipal election but later withdrew to endorse Naheed Nenshi.
Fact: In 2005, the University of Calgary named Hehr its graduate of the decade, and one of the 40 top graduates over the last 40 years.
SEAMUS O'REGAN
Veterans Affairs Minister and Associate Minister of Defence
Riding: St. John鈥檚 South 鈥� Mount Pearl (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Age: 46
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Journalist / television broadcaster
Social media: ( / )
O'Regan was promoted to cabinet in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 Aug. 28, 2017 cabinet shuffle. He was appointed to the veterans affairs portfolio and associate minister of defence.
Before he entered politics, he was co-host of CTV鈥檚 morning show, Canada AM, from 2003 to 2011, alongside Beverly Thomson.
O'Regan's appointment maintains the representation of Newfoundland and Labrador at the Cabinet table following the resignation of Judy Foote.
Fact: O鈥橰egan went public about his , announcing that he was in treatment and adopting an 鈥渁lcohol-free lifestyle.鈥�
GINETTE PETITPAS TAYLOR
Minister of Health
Riding: Moncton 鈥� Riverview - Dieppe (New Brunswick)
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Social Advocacy
Social media: ( / )
Petitpas Taylor had a long career in social work 鈥� including fighting for the advancement and protection of women鈥檚 rights and a 23-year stint working for the Codiac RCMP as a victim services coordinator.
After assuming office in 2015 she was appointed deputy government whip and parliamentary secretary the finance minister.
Fact: She is the youngest of a family of nine children, and is fluently bilingual.
AHMED HUSSEN
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Riding: York South-Weston (Ontario)
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Lawyer
Social media: ( / )
Hussen is a rookie MP who has previously worked as a lawyer and community activist. , Hussen immigrated to Canada from Somalia in 1993. He eventually co-founded the Regent Park Community Council in Toronto, and worked to help revitalize the largest and oldest social housing development in Canada.
Fact: Hussen has also served as national president of the Canadian Somali Congress and worked as a special assistant to former Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
FRANCOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE
Minister of International Trade
Riding: Saint-Maurice鈥擟hamplain (Quebec)
First elected to parliament: 2015
Age: 46
Past profession: Businessman, international trade consultant, lawyer
Social media: ( /
Since being elected to Parliament in 2015, Champagne has served as parliamentary secretary to Finance Minister Bill Morneau. , Champagne has more than two decades of experience working for 鈥渕ajor companies worldwide鈥� as an international trade specialist and lawyer.
Fact: Champagne was once named a 鈥淵oung Global Leader鈥� by the World Economic Forum.
KARINA GOULD
Minister of Democratic Institutions
Riding: Burlington (Ontario)
Age: 29
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Consultant, community activists
Social media: ( / )
Another first-time MP, Gould has served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of International Development and la Francophonie Marie-Claude Bibeau. Before she was elected, Gould worked as a trade and investment specialist for the Mexican Trade Commission in Toronto and as a consultant in the U.S. She has a master鈥檚 degree from the University of Oxford in England.
Fact: Gould spent a year volunteering at an orphanage in Mexico.
CHRYSTIA FREELAND
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Riding: University-Rosedale (Ontario)
Age: 48
First elected to parliament: 2013
Past profession: Journalist
Social media: ( / )
Freeland is a relative newcomer to the Liberal Party. The former journalist announced her resignation from her position at Thomson Reuters in 2013 to run in a byelection to replace Bob Rae in the riding of Toronto Centre. A year after that win, Freeland was appointed international trade critic for the party. Instead of running in her old seat this time around, however, she instead opted to run in the newly-created riding of University-Rosedale.
Fact: Freeland speaks five languages: English, French, Ukrainian, Russian and Italian.
MARYAM MONSEF
Minister of Status of Women
Riding: Peterborough-Kawartha (Ontario)
Age: 31
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Mayoral candidate, community engagement
Social media: ( / )
Monsef's family fled the Taliban in Afghanistan, moving to Peterborough. She is a graduate of Trent University and has been a member of more than 30 community-based action committees in Peterborough. In 2014, she ran for mayor of Peterborough, finishing a close second to Mayor Daryl Bennett.
Fact: Monsef co-founded the Red Pashmina Campaign, which raised over $150,000 for women and girls in Afghanistan.
PATTY HAJDU
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
Riding: Thunder Bay-Superior North (Ontario)
Age: 50
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Executive director for Shelter House, Thunder Bay鈥檚 largest homeless shelter
Social media: (/ )
Hajdu is widely known for leading discussion on substance use, harm reduction, housing and public health in Thunder Bay, where she chaired the Drug Awareness Committee of Thunder Bay and authored the city鈥檚 drug strategy. She and her family have lived almost exclusively in Thunder Bay since 1980.
Fact: Hajdu is a frequent op-ed contributor to The Chronicle-Journal newspaper in northwestern Ontario.
BARDISH CHAGGER
Government House Leader & Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Riding: Waterloo (Ontario)
Age: 36
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Community organizer
Social media: ( / )
On Aug. 19, 2016, Chagger was replacing Dominic LeBlanc who remains the fisheries minister -- a role he took over after and left the Liberal caucus in the Spring. Chagger retains her portfolio as minister of small business and tourism.
Prior to her work as a special projects coordinator at the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, Chagger worked as the executive assistant to former Kitchener-Waterloo MP Andrew Telegdi. She has volunteered with a number of community organizations, including the Interfaith Grand River, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Waterloo Rotary Club.
Fact: Chagger, who has been a resident of Waterloo her whole life, was a recipient of the Waterloo Region Record鈥檚 鈥�40 under 40鈥� award in 2012.
RALPH GOODALE
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Riding: Regina-Wascana (Saskatchewan)
Age: 67
First elected to parliament: 1974
Past profession: Career politician, though he has worked in the fields of business, agriculture, law and broadcasting.
Social media: ( / )
Goodale was first elected to the House of Commons as the MP for Assiniboia in 1974 at the young age of 24, a seat he held for five years. He then took a break from federal politics to lead the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, before returning to Parliament in 1993.
He has held the Regina-Wascana seat (previously known as just Wascana) ever since, earning him the nickname 鈥淜ing of Wascana.鈥� During that time, he has served as finance minister under Paul Martin and, most recently, as deputy leader of the Liberal Party.
Fact: Goodale will be the only MP to serve under both Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Justin Trudeau.
LAWRENCE MACAULAY
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Riding: Cardigan (P.E.I.)
Age: 70
First elected to parliament: 1988
Past profession: Potato and dairy farmer
Social media: ( / )
A long-time Liberal MP, MacAulay has served as the solicitor general of Canada, minister of labour and secretary of state for veterans affairs and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. He has also served as the opposition critic for fisheries and the opposition critic for seniors.
Fact: MacAulay is P.E.I.鈥檚 longest-serving MP.
SCOTT BRISON
President of the Treasury Board
Riding: Kings-Hants (Nova Scotia)
Age: 49
First elected to parliament: 2000
Past profession: Investment banker
Social media: ( / )
Brison was originally elected as a Progressive Conservative for the riding of Kings-Hants in 1997. He sought the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives in 2003, then crossed the floor to join the Liberals days after the party merged with the Canadian Alliance. Brison served as minister of public works and government services under Paul Martin. He has been the party鈥檚 finance critic since 2010.
Fact: Brison earned the nickname 鈥渇ridge magnate鈥� at Dalhousie University, where he started an appliance-renting business as a student. He eventually sold the business.
DOMINIC LEBLANC
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Riding: Beauséjour (New Brunswick)
Age: 49
First elected to parliament: 2004
Past profession: Lawyer and special adviser to Jean Chretien
Social media: ( / )
On Aug. 19, 2016, LeBlanc's former role as government House Leader was . LeBlanc remained as fisheries minister, a role he took on after .
LeBlanc was first elected in 2000 in the riding of Beausejour and has held onto the riding ever since. The former lawyer ran for leadership of the party in 2008, but dropped out of the race to endorse Michael Ignatieff.
LeBlanc most recently served as the Liberal party's house leader. LeBlanc is the son of former governor general Romeo LeBlanc, who also served as an MP from 1972 to 1984, and as a senator from 1984 to 1994.
Fact: He was a childhood chum of Justin Trudeau, as their two fathers were old friends who would often take their sons to a fishing camp in Miramichi for summer vacations.
NAVDEEP BAINS
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Riding: Mississauga-Malton (Ontario)
Age: 39
First elected to parliament: 2004, but lost his seat in 2011
Past profession: Revenue and cost analyst
Social media: ( / / )
Bains isn't exactly a rookie -- he's returning to parliament and knows his way around the committees. Bains previously served as the MP for Mississauga-Brampton South from 2004 to 2011, when he was defeated by then-Conservative Eve Adams.
Bains is a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University鈥檚 Ted Rogers School of Management. He is a certified management accountant, and was a financial and accounting analyst for years at Ford Motor Company. In his years outside of Ottawa, he played a big role in Justin Trudeau鈥檚 leadership campaign.
Fact: At 26 years old, Bains was the youngest MP in the Liberal caucus when initially elected in 2004.
BILL MORNEAU
Minister of Finance
Riding: Toronto Centre (Ontario)
Age: 54
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Businessman
Social media: ( / )
Until his federal win, Morneau was the executive chair of one of Canada鈥檚 largest human resources firm, Morneau Shepell, a firm founded by his father. He鈥檚 also a former chair of the economic think-tank, the C.D. Howe Institute. During his career, he was appointed by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to an expert panel to recommend an Ontario pension supplement to the Canada Pension Plan; the panel was led by former prime minister Paul Martin. He also served as one of Trudeau鈥檚 economic advisers and is the co-author of The Real Retirement: Why You Could Be Better Off Than You Think and How to Make That Happen.
Fact: In 2014, Morneau helped open the Morneau Shepell Secondary School for Girls in Kenya鈥檚 Kakuma refugee camp. The school educates Somali and Sudanese youth.
JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Riding: Vancouver Granville (B.C.)
Age: 45
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Crown prosecutor and former regional AFN chief
Social media: ( / )
Wilson-Raybould is a former crown prosecutor, adviser at the B.C. Treaty Commission and First Nations chief. During her time as regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, Wilson-Raybould focused on the advancement of First Nations governance, fair access to land and resources, and improved education and health. She is a member of the We Wai Kai Nation.
Even though Wilson-Raybould is a rookie MP, it won鈥檛 be her first time on the Hill. She has made numerous appearances before Parliamentary committees to speak about aboriginal issues.
Fact: Wilson-Raybould was among the First Nation leaders who met with Stephen Harper during the Idle No More protests in January 2013. She credits those discussions with influencing her decision to run for the Liberals.
JEAN-YVES DUCLOS
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Riding: Quebec
Age: 51
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Director of Economics at Universite Laval
Social media: (/ )
Duclos is an economics expert, published author and conference speaker. He is involved with a number of economic associations, including the Canadian Economics Association and C.D. Howe Institute. He is also the co-founder of the Poverty and Economic Policy Research Network.
Fact: In 2014, Duclos was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the highest accolade bestowed on Canadian researchers.
MARC GARNEAU
Minister of Transport
Riding: Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount (Quebec)
Age: 67
First elected to parliament: 2008
Past profession: Astronaut and Navy commander
Social media: ( / )
Known by many more for his exploits in space than on Earth, the former astronaut represented the downtown Montreal riding of Westmount-Ville Marie, and now represents the redrawn riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Westmount. Garneau initially made a bid for Liberal leadership in 2012, but eventually withdrew and threw his support behind Trudeau. Most recently, he served as the Liberal foreign affairs critic.
Fact: Garneau started his career in the Royal Canadian Navy and rose to the rank of Commander, before becoming the first Canadian to fly in space in 1984. He went on to become the president of the Canadian Space Agency.
MARIE-CLAUDE BIBEAU
Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
Riding: Compton-Stanstead (Quebec)
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Former CIDA employee and campground owner
Social media: ( / )
Bibeau had a varied career before making the jump into politics. She started at the now-defunct Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), working in Canada and Africa. For the past 15 years, she鈥檚 co-owned a small tourism business called Camping de Compton. She is also the executive director of the Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Science.
Fact: Bibeau is married to Sherbrooke Mayor Bernard Sévigny.
JIM CARR
Minister of Natural Resources
Riding: Winnipeg South Centre (Manitoba)
Age: 65
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Founding CEO of Business Council of Manitoba, journalist, musician
Social media: (/ )
Prior to entering public life, Carr worked as a journalist with the Winnipeg Free Press and the CBC. In 1988, he was elected as provincial MLA for Fort Rouge and eventually became deputy leader of Manitoba鈥檚 Liberal Party. He then went on to found the Business Council of Manitoba in 1997, before running for the Liberals at the federal level this year.
Fact: Carr began his career as a musician, and played oboe with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
MELANIE JOLY
Minister of Canadian Heritage
Riding: Ahuntsic-Cartierville (Quebec)
Age: 37
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Lawyer, communications partner, mayoral candidate
Social media: ( / )
Joly is not new to the political world. She was the runner-up in the 2013 Montreal mayoral race, losing to Denis Coderre but taking a quarter of the vote. A lawyer by trade, Joly practiced in Montreal before jumping into communications at international firm Cohn & Wolfe. Joly also helped organize Trudeau鈥檚 Liberal leadership campaign.
Fact: Joly was named Elle Quebec鈥檚 Woman of the Year in 2008 in the 鈥渦p and coming鈥� category.
DIANE LEBOUTHILLIER
Minister of National Revenue
Riding: Gaspesie-Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine (Quebec)
Age: 57
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Social worker
Social media: ( / )
Before entering politics, Lebouthillier was a social worker at the Rocher Percé Health and Social Services Centre for 23 years. In 2013, she was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Royal Canadian Legion for her work. She is a mother of three adult sons and grandmother to one grandson.
Fact: She's the owner of La Ferme du Petit Moulin, a farm-based retreat in Gaspe that boasts seven chalets.
CATHERINE MCKENNA
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Riding: Ottawa Centre (Ontario)
Age: 45
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: International trade lawyer
Social media: (@ / )
Considered a star Liberal recruit, McKenna defeated longtime Ottawa-Centre NDP MP Paul Dewar on Oct. 19. The international trade lawyer brings a wealth of experience to the table, including her time as a former legal adviser to the negotiator for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in East Timor. She is also a board member at the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and has taught at the University of Toronto鈥檚 Munk School of Global Affairs.
Fact: McKenna鈥檚 husband, Scott Gilmore, is a longtime Conservative. He recently wrote a piece in Maclean鈥檚 magazine about his decision to vote Liberal in the Oct. 19 election, calling the decision 鈥渢he unthinkable.鈥�
HARJIT SINGH SAJJAN
Minister of National Defence
Age: 46
Riding: Vancouver South (British Columbia)
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: Police officer and soldier
Social media: ( / )
Sajjan and his family immigrated to Canada from India when he was five years old, and he grew up in South Vancouver. The former police detective and highly decorated lieutenant-colonel has served three tours in Afghanistan and one in Bosnia. Brigadier-General David Fraser once said that Sajjan was 鈥渢he best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre鈥� and 鈥渟ingle-handedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan.鈥� Harjit served 11 years with the Vancouver Police Department, most recently specializing in gang violence.
Fact: Sajjan was the first Canadian Sikh to command a Canadian military regiment.
AMARJEET SOHI
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Riding: Edmonton-Mill Woods (Alberta)
Age: 52
First elected to parliament: 2015
Past profession: City councillor
Social media: (/ )
Sohi was first elected as an Edmonton city councilor in 2007. He has volunteered with Public Interest Alberta, the Centre for International Alternatives and the Canadian Labour Congress. Sohi is also a former member of the Edmonton Police Commission.
Fact: Sohi won his seat by just 92 votes, beating former Conservative MP Tim Uppal.
KIRSTY DUNCAN
Minister of Science
Riding: Etobicoke North (Ontario)
Age: 50
First elected to parliament: 2008
Past profession: Medical geographer
Social media: (/ )
Duncan, a medical geographer, has taught at the University of Windsor, the University of Toronto and Royal Roads University. She has also served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an organization that won the 2007 Nobel Prize with Al Gore.
Fact: Duncan is the author of two books: 鈥楨nvironment and Health: Protecting our Common Future鈥� and 鈥楬unting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist鈥檚 Search for a Killer Virus.鈥�
