OTTAWA 鈥� Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made public the new mandate letters of the six ministers that were shuffled into new roles in the Aug. 28 cabinet shuffle.
While there is some carry through from what the prior ministers were assigned to do in their roles, the government has indicated some new priorities going forward. These include: tackling the opioid crisis; fixing the Phoenix pay system; and an entire new approach to Indigenous affairs.
In the shuffle Trudeau split up the Indigenous file between ministers Jane Philpott and Carolyn Bennett.
In her , Philpott as minister of Indigenous services has the overarching objective of delivering improved services to Indigenous people in Canada, with more accountability. She has been asked to do this alongside Indigenous people.
Trudeau has mandated her to improve the government鈥檚 delivery of health and child welfare services in particular. The government plans to transfer the responsibility for the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch from the minister of health, to the minister of Indigenous services.
She has been asked to support and offer advice to Bennett and Trudeau as the Indigenous Affairs department splits in two, considering all the moving pieces that will include.
Many of Philpott鈥檚 mandate points will involve her working alongside other ministers where services overlap.
Bennett, as minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs, will lead the government鈥檚 consultation process on overhauling Indigenous affairs, and the government-wide aim at renewing the nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous people in Canada. This includes continuing work reviewing relevant laws and policies.
She will also take on the programs and policies relating to the North; work with Finance Minister Bill Morneau on a new fiscal relationship with Indigenous people; and has been asked to work with Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Her also states that Bennett will be the lead minister when it comes to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Focus on opioid crisis
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor to work with stakeholders and first responders on Canada鈥檚 response to the current opioid crisis. This assignment includes her introducing guidelines to curb misuse and making sure Canada is adequately monitoring and reporting overdoses.
The focus on the opioid crisis was not something referenced in the initial mandate letter for the portfolio when Philpott was named to the role in 2015.
Also new, Trudeau has mandated her to develop a plan for blood services that 鈥渆nsures safety and non-discrimination in donation policies鈥� after the government has come under scrutiny for not yet fully fulfilling its promise to end the ban on men who have sex with men donating blood.
Petitpas Taylor has been asked to continue with plans to legalize marijuana; introduce plain packaging for tobacco products; restrict commercial marketing of unhealthy food and drinks to children; and changing food labels to add more information about sugars and dyes.
The new mandate also includes working with Science Minister Kristy Duncan with a "new vision for federal science infrastructure."
She鈥檚 also been asked to work with the provinces and territories on a number of health initiatives, including health innovation; access to prescription medication; and mental health and addiction services.
Fixing Phoenix
The first priority on Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough鈥檚 r is to 鈥渆nsure that public servants are paid accurately and promptly for the highly valued work they do on behalf of Canadians,鈥� by working with counterparts to fix the Phoenix pay system that has left thousands of public servants without pay or with incorrect pay, for over a year.
Also new, Shared Services Canada is looking like it鈥檒l get a rethink under Qualtrough. Her mandate letter asks her to work with the President of the Treasury Board Scott Brison to make sure Shared Services has the resources and focus it needs to deliver IT to federal departments, after years of delay rolling out a new government-wide email system and departments raising security concerns.
She has also been asked to follow through on bringing forward a new plan for Canada Post that includes quality service at a fair price; updating the government鈥檚 procurement processes; implementing a 鈥渇air wages policy鈥�; and overseeing the ongoing construction projects around Parliament Hill.
Stitching together Defence, Veterans鈥� departments
Seamus O鈥橰egan, as minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of defence, to work with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to 鈥渃lose the seam鈥� between the two departments and make public its plans to get there. The cohesion of the two departments was referenced in the previous mandate letters for both files, but in less specific language.
He has also been tasked with re-establishing lifelong pensions as an option for injured veterans; increase the veteran survivor鈥檚 pension amount from 50 per cent to 70 per cent; improve the application process and delivery of current benefits; and create a research centre focused on mental health.
Accessibility legislation coming
Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities Kent Hehr with carrying on the job Qualtrough had when she was in the role: of tabling new federal accessibility legislation. This legislation is expected to set federal accessibility standards for people with disabilities and apply to companies under federal jurisdiction.
He鈥檚 also been asked to work with Petitpas Taylor to move forward on the implementation of a pan-Canadian concussion strategy; lead preparations for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics; and work with Infrastructure and Communities Minister Amarjeet Sohi to get provinces and territories to start reporting on spending aimed at making public transit more accessible.
