Dominic LeBlanc named chair of a new cabinet committee on litigation management to advise the justice minister on the implications of lawsuits facing the government

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-cabinet-committees-shake-up-1.3731042

Trudeau tweaks cabinet committees, names LeBlanc to lead litigation management

Defence procurement and US relations committees moved from ad-hoc to full committee status

By Aaron Wherry, CBC News Posted: Aug 22, 2016 2:03 PM ET

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet have been meeting in Sudbury, Ont. to discuss priorities for the fall sitting of Parliament. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press) 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made changes to a ministerial portfolio and the committees that manage the business of the federal cabinet.

The changes were announced at a Liberal cabinet retreat in Sudbury, Ont. held to prepare for a busy fall agenda.

Jean-Yves Duclos, the economist who became minister of families, children and social development last fall, has been given new responsibilities to help Trudeau's government meet campaign commitments on employment insurance and skills training.

Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose duties as House leader were reassigned on Friday to Small Business and Tourism Minister Bardish Chagger, has been named chair of a new cabinet committee on litigation management to advise the justice minister on the implications of lawsuits facing the government.

Defence procurement and Canada-U.S. relations, previously the purview of ad hoc and sub-committees, have been elevated to full committees.

And in a change not mentioned in the accompanying PMO press release, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly and Science Minister Kirsty Duncan have been named chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the committee on environment, climate change and energy. Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, who formerly held those roles, are no longer listed on that committee.

At a press conference to wrap up the cabinet retreat, Trudeau said the meetings on the campus of Laurentian University focused on three relationships that were central to his government's agenda: those with the provinces and territories, the U.S. and Indigenous Canadians.

"We need to continue the work needed to renew Canada's relationship with Indigenous peoples — that is going to be a long process and it's going to be a complex one," Trudeau said. "It involves doing some things that historically governments haven't been that great at, things like being open and transparent, like owning up to mistakes and learning from them."

Over the meeting's two days, cabinet heard presentations from David MacNaughton, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., and Sir Michael Barber, the British political adviser who has been counseling Trudeau's government on implementing its agenda.

The prime minister was asked whether Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie's words of praise for him during his band's concert broadcast Saturday, especially the singer's claim Trudeau was the man to restore Canada's relationship with Indigenous peoples, put pressure on him to deliver.

"I've talked to Gord Downie a few times in the past, particularly in recent years, and I can tell you he's always been a man who had tremendous passion for such issues as social justice, Canadians and the challenges facing indigenous Canadians," Trudeau said in French.

"So I can tell you, yes it does put pressure on me when a friend like Gord says that he expects a lot from me and from my government. But Canadians expect a lot from this government, and we have an extraordinary team in (Indigenous Affairs Minister) Carolyn Bennett and (Justice Minister) Jody Wilson-Raybould, who made some presentations this weekend."

Trudeau was asked if he made a point of reminding his cabinet ministers about being frugal with public money after a week in which it was learned taxpayers paid more than $3,700 for a car service to transport Health Minister Jane Philpott between events on two different occasions in a luxury sedan.

Trudeau said that the incident was a mistake and when mistakes are made he expects his ministers to acknowledge it, apologize for it, make amends and make sure it does not happen again.

"This situation was a reminder for all of us to be extremely careful about our expenses and about the public trust that we wield," he said. "And that's exactly what it's going to continue to be."

Philpott apologized again for the "inappropriate" expenses on Sunday and said she'd repay a portion of the money.

Trudeau apologises for Minister's lavish spending0:43

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1806 Comments

Commenting is now closed for this story.

 Cyrus Manz

TRANSLATION:
The one year anniversary of "Sunny ways" is over.
Out with sunny crew, in come the old boy club.

Typical Liberals.

23 hours ago 186 Likes 120 Dislikes

Show 73 older replies

 Tim Sarant

@Cyrus Manz

and the "payola" minister remains....

And the Phoenix minister remains. ...

and the selfies continue.

Sunny ways.

20 hours ago 7 Likes 10 Dislikes

 Alan Smith

@Bill Nazarene I think Cyrus has been trumped and should stay south of the border

20 hours ago 9 Likes 4 Dislikes

 David Raymond Amos

@Cyrus Manz I agree Mr Manz Methinks it is an old boys club with kids in short pants playing in the backrooms. IF he were ethical the lawyer Dominic Leblanc the chair of a new cabinet committee on litigation management should advise the justice minister on the implications of lawsuits facing the government before I sue them personally. Everybody knows about the lawsuit I filed long before Trudeau "The Younger" became Prime Minister. Anyone can query the Federal Court of Canada docket to review file no T-1557-15. However to see why Mr Leblanc is in deep doo doo please enjoy my file found within the link below.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/2724471/prison-etc

20    hours ago 4 Likes 7 Dislikes

 John Henry

@John Morrison

I already gave you 3. You misrepresent Harper in almost every post so just pick one. I just corrected more of your bs propaganda in another thread. Yet spamming is what you Harper OCD sufferers do.

1        hour ago 0 Likes 1 Dislikes

Content disabled.

David Raymond Amos

@Cyrus Manz I must say that I am surprised that CBC did not block my comments today as per their MO. Could it be that Minister Melanie Joly's letter to mean old me scared the Hell out of Hubby Lacriox and his minions? Who truly knows what the political lawyers are up these days in the back rooms up on the Hill. It sure ain't CBC N'esy Pas? .
https://www.scribd.com/document/317811875/Melanie-Joly-vs-Hubby-Lacroix

1        hour ago 0 Likes 0 Dislikes

 David Raymond Amos

@David Raymond Amos Now that CBC is back to their old tricks and blocking mean old. I must ask why Dominic Lelbanc is supporting Peter MacKay's arguments against me last year and why Bill Pentney is still the Deputy Attorney General? Perhaps Prime Minister Trudeau "The Younger" should have his buddy Dominic Leblanc and his cohort Jody Wilson-Raybould Canada's Attorney General read paragraph 83 of my lawsuit

http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2015/09/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html

and check the docket in Federal Court (File no T-1557-15)

http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=T-1557-15&select_court=T

EH?

12 minutes ago 1 Like 0 Dislikes

 Al Purves

Don't have faith in the Liberals. Doesn't matter Who Justin Apts. All have been let down.

23 hours ago 147 Likes 99 Dislikes

Show 63 older replies

 John Henry

@Michael Unsern

More nonsense Liberal propaganda. They spent $250M. $100M was what they spent on commissions again for 'little or no work done'

"Auditor General Sheila Fraser's report reveals up to $100 million of the $250 million sponsorship program was awarded to Liberal-friendly advertising firms and Crown corporations for little or no work"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponsorship_scandal

53    minutes ago 1 Like 0 Dislikes

 John Henry

@Kat Burd

EAP are the name for their budgets and there is no issue w them.

They only created 1M jobs which led the g7 since 2009. Led teh g7 in gdp growth as well.

50 minutes ago 0 Likes 0 Dislikes

 Craig Nettles

Come on Canada, just 39 months to go, hang on, if you can.

1 day ago 141 Likes 82 Dislikes

Show 30 older replies

 Jason Dean

@John Morrison

Canada's decade of darkness was during liberal reign of terror. Massive budget cuts. Decimation of health care and military spending. Downloading of billions up billions to the provinces. Changing EI laws to put EI into general revenue. Strangling reporters.

4 hours ago 4 Likes 0 Dislikes

 Art C Bunker

@Craig Nettles and the nice thing is, when we get our country back we can reverse all the laws Trudy & Co. made up.

3 hours ago 0 Likes 0 Dislikes

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