Federal Cabinet Announcement

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced the new Cabinet of his majority government in the 41st Parliament. The Cabinet is now composed of 39 members including the Prime Minister. A total of 31 Ministers were re-appointed.

Ministers who will keep their existing portfolios include Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment; Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance; Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation; and Jason Kenny, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Three newly-elected Members of Parliament were promoted directly into Cabinet including Joe Oliver from Toronto (Eglinton–Lawrence), as the new Minister of Natural Resources. His bio is copied below.

Ministers who were assigned new duties include Tony Clement as the President of Treasury Board, and Christian Paradis as Industry Minister and Minister of State for Agriculture.

The Cabinet’s regional composition is as follows:

• 15 from Ontario
• 14 from western Canada – including the Prime Minister.
• 4 from Quebec
• 5 from Atlantic Canada
• 1 from Nunavut

Given the Government’s majority status, the role of caucuses and regional Ministers should increase in importance in policy and legislative development.

Prime Minister Harper also announced the membership of the Cabinet Committees (PDF). There are eight Cabinet Committees in total including the Treasury Board Sub-Committee on Strategic and Operating Review. These Committees provide the necessary planning and support for Cabinet decision-making.  The Committees which are the most relevant are: Priorities and Planning, Operations Treasury Board, and Economic Prosperity and Sustainable Growth.

The Prime Minister will continue to chair the Cabinet Committee on Priorities and Planning which provides the strategic direction on Government priorities and expenditure management. Mr. Clement will preside over the Treasury Board Committee and Christian Paradis will Chair the Cabinet committee on Economic Prosperity and Sustainable Growth.

Minister Jason Kenny has been promoted within the Cabinet Committee process as Chair of the influential Cabinet Committee on Operations. This committee was previously chaired by Jim Prentice, and provides the day-to-day coordination of the Government’s agenda, including issues management, house-planning and communications.  It should be noted that Minister Kenny now sits on four Cabinet Committees which increases his influence in the Government’s decision-making processes.

The Minister of Natural Resources, Joe Oliver, is a member of the Treasury Board Sub- Committee on Strategic and Operational Review, and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Prosperity and Sustainable Growth.

The full listing of the Cabinet Ministers and their biographies.

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Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources
Eglinton–Lawrence (Ontario)

Joe Oliver was elected to the House of Commons for the first time in May 2011.

Mr. Oliver began his investment banking career at Merrill Lynch, and served in senior positions at other investment dealers and as Executive Director of the Ontario Securities Commission. He was then appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada. He also played a prominent role as Chair of the Advisory Committee of the International Council of Securities Associations and as Chair of the Consultative Committee of the International Association of Securities Commissions. A graduate of the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management, he was also a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators and sat on the board of the Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation.

Mr. Oliver is an active member of his community and volunteers for various charities in Canada and abroad. He served as Chair of the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada for four years and continues to be an active volunteer at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Mr. Oliver obtained both his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Civil Law at McGill University. He was called to the Quebec Bar and later graduated with an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.