Prime Minister Trudeau has announced a major shuffle of his cabinet with more than half of the Ministers changing portfolios or being newly appointed to replace several who announced that they will be retiring from Parliament in the next election.
For our industry, one of two key Ministers was shuffled with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos moving to Public Services & Procurement and being replaced by Toronto area MP Mark Holland. Holland was previously serving as Government House Leader. The other key Minister for our industry, Environment Minister and Montreal area MP Steven Guilbeault, remained in the Environment portfolio.
Our new Health Minister, Mark Holland, is a long serving Member of Parliament having first being elected in 2004 for Ajax-Pickering. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2008 but defeated in 2011. He returned to Parliament in the 2015 general election from the new riding of Ajax and was handily re-elect in the 2019 and 2021 general elections. He was appointed to cabinet in 2021 as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons after previously serving as Government Whip, where he would have become well acquainted with most MP’s in his tenure in both of these important roles.
Minister Holland is a life-long resident of the Ajax and Pickering communities and, as an MP from the eastern GTA, would be well acquainted with the importance of our industry in his region. He also has a degree in political science and history from the University of Toronto and at one time worked for the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Although it will take some time for the various changes in the political staff supporting the Minister to be made, as well as for the Minister to be briefed up on issues by his new Department, Cosmetics Alliance will be reaching out to request a meeting with the new Minister to discuss the issues important to our industry including completion of the Self-care Framework, the proposed cost recovery for NHP’s, and the duplicitous regulation of self-care products by Environment Canada contrary to CUSMA. We also understand that the commitment made regarding the joint working group on the China GMP certificates and the work now being undertaken will continue.
We will keep you updated as the new Minister settles into the Health Canada portfolio.
The complete list of changes to the federal cabinet can be found HERE.
