Judy Foote sworn in as Public Services and Procurement minister
Bonavista-Burin-Trinity MP Judy Foote was sworn in Wednesday as the minister of Public Services and Procurement in Justin Trudeau's Liberal cabinet.
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Thirty cabinet ministers in total are being sworn in — 15 men and 15 women. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously committed to gender equality in his cabinet.
Foote was re-elected in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity Oct. 19, capturing nearly 82 per cent of the vote — the highest percentage of any votes of any candidate in Newfoundland and Labrador.
She currently serves as the federal caucus whip and was previously the deputy house leader.
Foote is the first Newfoundland and Labrador cabinet minister at the federal table since former Conservative MP Peter Penashue who was minister of Intergovernmental Affairs from 2011 until he resigned his seat in 2013.
In the 2011 election, Foote won with almost 50 per cent of the vote in the former riding of Random-Burin-St. Georges, where she was first elected as MP in 2008.
Before making the shift to federal politics, Foote served as a provincial MHA for 11 years where she held a number of portfolios.