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[11]By Emma Persaud [12], Joseph Quigley [13], Kate Shumakova [14] and Samantha Reed [15]
OTTAWA – Canada has a new prime minister.
An estimated 3,200 people crowded outside the gates of the governor general’s residence to watch the swearing-in ceremony of Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau is replacing Conservative leader Stephen Harper, who spent 10 years as prime minister. The Liberals won a majority government with 184 seats in the Oct. 19 election.
During his post-ceremonial speech, Trudeau spoke of the issues in the country.
He went on to speak about how Canada has a lot to offer.
Trudeau then spoke about his late father, Pierre Trudeau, who was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada.
“I think of my father and how pleased he must be with Canada coming together,” he said.
Some of the attendees got very emotional during the ceremony. Luanne Vendittelli worked on Trudeau’s campaign. Vendittelli had trouble holding back her emotions after hugging Canada’s new prime minister.
QNet’s Emma Persaud reports from outside Rideau Hall.
Student debt is one issue that stood out in the minds of four students: Georgia Stanley, 20, Martina Turchyn, 19, Natalie Plauaini, 19 and Florence Southcott, 19.
Two tweens in the crowd – Jillian Hamilton and Maggie Fife, both 12-years-old – told QNet News they were excited to be at the ceremony and are looking forward to seeing change.
“With the conservative government it wasn’t as clear, so we didn’t really know what was going on as much. So now it is more of a transparent government so everyone is more involved and knows what’s going on,” said Hamilton.
Another change the Liberal Party promised during the election is to launch a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
Matthew Morriseau, a 16-year-old student at Pelican Falls First Nations High School in Sioux Lookout, said he is there to support indigenous people.
“Since it’s my people I think it’s really horrible that no one would try to help,” he said.
Morriseau said he is looking to the Liberal government to help.
The biggest focus of the day was the look of Trudeau’s cabinet. Half of his cabinet is made up of women and it’s smaller than it has been in previous years. This is a big change from the previous Conservative cabinet. Of 39 ministers, only 12 were women.
During his post-ceremonial speech, Trudeau addressed his diverse cabinet.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” he says. “But we now have a cabinet that looks like Canada.”
Liberal MP-elect for Peterborough-Kawartha Maryam Monsef [16] was named the minister of Democratic Institutions.
Here is a full list of Justin Trudeau’s cabinet:
- Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth.
- Ralph Goodale – Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
- Lawrence MacAulay – Agriculture and Agri-Food.
- Stéphane Dion – Foreign Affairs.
- John McCallum – Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees.
- Carolyn Bennett – Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
- Scott Brison – Treasury Board President.
- Dominic Leblanc – Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
- Navdeep Bains – Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
- Bill Morneau – Finance Minister.
- Jody Wilson-Raybould – Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
- Judy Foote – Public Services and Procurement.
- Chrystia Freeland – International Trade.
- Jane Philpott – Health.
- Jean-Yves Duclos – Families, Children and Social Development.
- Marc Garneau – Transport.
- Marie-Claude Bibeau – International Development and La francophonie.
- James Carr – Natural Resources.
- Mélanie Joly – Heritage.
- Dianne Lebouthillier – National Revenue.
- Kent Hehr – Veterans Affairs, and Associate Minister of National Defence.
- Catherine McKenna – Environment and Climate Change.
- Harjit Sajjan – National Defence.
- MaryAnn Mihychuck – Employment Workforce Development and Labour
- Amarjeet Sohi – Infrastructure and Communities.
- Maryam Monsef – Democratic Institutions.
- Carla Qualtrough – Sport, and Persons with Disabilities.
- Hunter Tootoo – Fisheries and Oceans, and Canadian Coastguard.
- Kirsty Duncan – Science.
- Patricia Hajdu – Status of Women.
- Bardish Chagger – Small Business and Tourism.