There are new faces and shuffled portfolios in the new federal Liberal cabinet, but Delta’s member of Parliament (MP) is a familiar face in a familiar position.
Carla Qualtrough will continue in her role as Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion.
She was sworn-in alongside the other 38 ministers on Tuesday in Ottawa as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named his cabinet.
Trudeau has added nine new faces, dropped three and moved most other senior ministers to new posts with only 10 staying put.
On Monday, Qualtrough was joined by her family as she was sworn-in once again as MP.
“In 2015, Deltans entrusted me to represent them in the House of Commons. Today, I had the honour of being sworn in a third time as the MP for Delta. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing to work hard for our community and for Canada,” she said in a post on social media.
Late Tuesday, the Optimist caught up for a quick phone interview with Qualtrough.
She said she is very pleased to be continuing with the same portfolio.
“I think there is lots of exciting work to do in this portfolio. Certainly top of mind is finishing the fight against COVID, supporting workers, supporting businesses, transitioning to supporting different kinds of benefits and then near and dear to my heart, is I get to keep the disability portfolio,” she said. “So continuing work on the Canada Disability Benefit and the Disability Employment Strategy. There is some really important and significant language in our platform on disability that you have never seen in a party’s platform before and I get to actually make that happen, so I’m very excited.”
Parliament will resume sitting in the House of Commons on Nov. 22.
Between now and then, Qualtrough will be in lots of cabinet meetings and helping to get new ministers up to speed and setting the agenda.
“I think he [Trudeau] said it best when he said it is a reinvigorated and excited group that is looking forward to leading the country,” she said. “Moving people around, and getting some fresh blood and perspectives reminds us all of why we are in this business. I think it is a healthy way forward and this is a good team.”
