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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a serious overhaul of his cupboard Wednesday, transferring most ministers to new positions. He additionally added seven MPs to cupboard. The brand new ministers are a various group, usually of their early 40s to early 50s, with backgrounds in enterprise, legislation and municipal politics (and in a single case, a aggressive baking TV present).

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Meet the brand new ministers:

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Arif Virani (Parkdale—Excessive Park)

Virani has a high-profile new job because the justice minister and lawyer common of Canada. He takes over from former minister David Lametti, who was dropped from cupboard in a transfer that got here as a shock to many. Virani beforehand held quite a few parliamentary secretary positions, together with to the justice minister, and most lately to Worldwide Commerce Minister Mary Ng.

The 51-year-old Toronto MP was first elected in 2015. Previous to that, Virani labored as a constitutional lawyer, as an analyst for the Canadian Human Rights Fee, and as an assistant trial lawyer for the prosecution on the United Nations Worldwide Prison Tribunal for Rwanda. Virani, who’s Muslim and whose household is of Indian origin, got here to Canada in 1972 as a refugee from Uganda.

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Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough—Rouge Park)

Anandasangaree is the brand new minister of Crown-Indigenous relations. The human rights lawyer was first elected in 2015. He has familiarity with the file, having beforehand served as parliamentary secretary to the Crown-Indigenous relations minister. Anandasangaree was additionally beforehand parliamentary secretary to the justice minister.

Previous to getting into politics, he had his personal legislation agency specializing in enterprise, actual property and worldwide human rights legislation. He was additionally concerned in a number of Canadian Tamil organizations. He got here to Canada as a refugee along with his mom in 1983.

Anandasangaree instructed reporters following his swearing in that he brings a world and rights-based perspective to the file. “I believe what we have to do in Canada is to construct on the work that our authorities has accomplished, not simply in respect of the legal guidelines…. but additionally to proceed to rebuild that relationship, one that can be certain that there’s self-determination on the core of each relationship that we’ve got.”

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Jenna Sudds (Kanata—Carleton)

Sudds, who was first elected in 2021, holds an Ottawa suburban using near that of Conservative chief Pierre Poilievre. The brand new minister of households, youngsters and social growth beforehand served as parliamentary secretary to the minister for ladies and gender equality and youth.

Previous to getting into politics, the 44-year-old Sudds labored as an economist for the federal authorities, for native enterprise associations, and served on Ottawa metropolis council for 3 years.

Ya’ara Saks (York Centre)

Saks, the brand new minister of psychological well being and addictions and affiliate minister of well being, has a background working within the area, having served as director of a Toronto psychological well being charity. She additionally had her personal small enterprise.

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The Toronto-area MP was first elected in 2020, and was parliamentary secretary to the households minister. Saks, who’s 50-years previous, beforehand studied and labored in Israel, together with within the workplace of the mayor of Jerusalem.

Terry Beech (Burnaby North—Seymour)

Beech received his political begin early, with an election to Nanaimo metropolis council when he was solely 18. Beech then turned an MP within the B.C. using in 2015. Earlier than getting into federal politics, the 42-year-old co-founded a tech firm along with his twin brother Doug. His most up-to-date parliamentary secretary put up was with Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and he labored on a number of items of laws involving fisheries and oceans.

Beech turns into minister of residents’ providers, a brand new ministry created as a part of Tuesday’s shuffle. Whereas specifics of the brand new put up will likely be unveiled within the mandate letters given to the ministers by Trudeau, the creation of the brand new ministry follows frustration amongst Canadians who confronted backlogs making an attempt to get their passports. Beech couldn’t provide many particulars to reporters on Wednesday, saying he was simply getting briefed on the file. “I’m very enthusiastic about having the chance to exit and supply wonderful customer support,” he mentioned.

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Rechie Valdez (Mississauga—Streetsville)

The brand new minister of small enterprise has private expertise in that world, proudly owning a bakery and founding her personal line of Filipino-style pastries. Valdez additionally labored as a company banker for 15 years and appeared on a aggressive baking present on the Meals Community Canada.

The 43-year-old was the primary Filipino-Canadian lady to be elected as MP when she received the Toronto-area using in 2021. She instructed reporters: “It’s extremely essential that we concentrate on the small companies as a result of they’re the spine of our financial system, and I really consider that, being that I used to be a small enterprise entrepreneur myself.”

Requested about her response to being sworn in, she mentioned, “I used to be making an attempt to carry again my tears, however I couldn’t as a result of it was a really highly effective second. My mother and father emigrated from the Philippines to Zambia, Africa, to provide me a greater life and it’s their onerous work that motivated me to run.”

Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Hochelaga)

When the Montreal-area MP was first elected in 2019, she got here to the job with expertise in politics, having beforehand served on Montreal metropolis council and as chief of employees and senior advisor to Mélanie Joly when Joly was heritage minister.

Martinez Ferrada is 50-years previous and a Chilean-Canadian. Her household got here to Canada as political refugees. She is the brand new minister of tourism and minister chargeable for the Financial Improvement Company of Canada for the Areas of Quebec.

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