Who will represent Quebec in a Liberal cabinet?
Benjamin Shingler | CBC News | Posted: October 20, 2015 9:46 PM | Last Updated: October 20, 2015
Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau has 40 MPs to choose from in the province
After winning a stunning majority in the House of Commons, prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau now faces the difficult task of putting together a cabinet.
Individual strengths, linguistic diversity, gender and regional representation all come into play when deciding who should sit at the federal cabinet table.
- Justin Trudeau to appoint new cabinet with equal gender balance
- Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard says Liberal win good news for province
- Denis Coderre says Montreal voted for 'change'
Unlike his predecessor Stephen Harper, who had only five MPs to choose from in Quebec following the 2011 election, Trudeau has 40 MPs with a wide range of strengths.
Here's a look at some of the front-runners for a cabinet post:
Marc Garneau
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount (Montreal). Garneau, a former astronaut and, until he stepped down to make way for Trudeau, a Liberal leadership contender, is likely be among those considered for Foreign Affairs.
On CBC Montreal's Daybreak this morning, Garneau played the part, saying the Liberals would take steps to follow through on their commitment to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees — perhaps even before the new parliamentary session.
"We need to work right away on it," Garneau said.
Stéphane Dion
Saint-Laurent (Montreal). Dion, a former cabinet minister and one-time party leader, is his party's critic for Canadian Heritage and official languages — which includes responsibility for the CBC. He's a likely contender for that cabinet post.
On Daybreak, Dion praised Trudeau for running a strong campaign "despite all the attacks." He added that the Liberals "have a very strong platform with elements that resonated well with Canadians."
Mélanie Joly
Ahuntsic-Cartierville (Montreal). Joly, a dark-horse candidate in Montreal's recent mayoral race, was the runner-up to Denis Coderre.
She could be tapped for a cabinet post, especially given Trudeau's commitment to gender equality in cabinet.
Joly told Daybreak the election "was the first time maybe in a generation that Québécois people were ready to trust again the Liberal party."
Other possibilities for a spot in cabinet include:
Denis Paradis
Brome-Missisquoi (Eastern Townships). Paradis, a Liberal MP whose experience stretches back to the Chrétien years, has previously served as parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs and secretary of state for the francophonie. The fact that he is francophone and from a rural area could work in his favour.
Marie-Claude Bibeau
Compton–Stanstead (Eastern Townships). Bibeau has an extensive resumé outside politics, including time spent at the Canadian International Development Agency, and she has served on local governing boards and museums. She could also be in line for a post, given Trudeau's commitment to gender equality and her wide array of experience.