Shuffle does not signal change of course, Prentice says

The new cabinet unveiled by Prime Minister Stephen Harper does not signal that the government plans to change course on priorities, the country's new industry minister said Wednesday.

"What we saw yesterday was really building on the strengths moving forward, continuity in the government, no veerage, no change of course, continuing to do what we promised Canadians we would do," Jim Prentice told CBC News on Wednesday.

Prentice, the former Indian affairs minister,was among a handful of Conservatives who switched cabinet posts.

Amongthe high-profile switches announced Wednesday, Maxime Bernier moved to foreign affairs from industry. But one of the biggest changes announced was the new role for Peter MacKay,who moved fromforeign affairstoreplace the embattled Gordon O'Connor as defence minister.

O'Connor had been long rumoured to be on his way out of that portfolio.

He repeatedly came under fire in the House of Commons in April, when reports emerged that prisoners were being tortured after they were transferred from the Canadian military to Afghan police.

He was also heavily criticized for his inability to sell Canada's increasingly unpopular mission in Afghanistan to the Canadian public. O'Connor was sent to the national revenue ministry.

But when asked whether O'Connor's move is an admission he had mishandled the file, Prentice would only say that he had done "remarkable work" in the portfolio, and that he led the way to rebuilding the Canadian Forces.

"Thisa difficult and challenging mission in Afghanistan, all Canadians know that," Prentice said. "We now have in foreign affairs, in thedefence portfolio two really exceptional Canadians —young men, good communicators."

Pundits view MacKayas a better salesmanthan O'Connor when it comes to explaining the country's military mission, and say Bernier is expected tomore effectively carry the government's Afghan message into Quebec.