Baker and entrepreneur appointed small business minister in Cabinet shuffle
July 27, 2023
By Bakers Journal
Ottawa – In a significant Cabinet shuffle, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed Lawrence MacAulay minister of agriculture and agri-food and welcomes Rechie Valdez, a baker and entrepreneur, as minister of small business.
The Hon. Rechie Valdez was elected as the Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Streetsville in 2021. She has been a member of various parliamentary committees and associations, including the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, as well as the Chair of the Canada-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Minister Valdez, the first Filipino-Canadian woman elected as a Member of Parliament and appointed to Cabinet. After 15 years working in corporate banking and inspired by home baking for her children, she
Before entering politics, Minister Valdez owned and operated a small business, and dedicated herself to growing her online business avenues. She was also the host of a television show that shares the stories of entrepreneurs, creators, and artists. Prior to that, she worked in corporate banking for 15 years, where she developed her expertise in change management and strategic initiatives. Drawing on her longstanding advocacy, Minister Valdez also sponsored the National Women’s Entrepreneurship Act in 2022.
Other changes to the Ministry are as follows:
- Anita Anand becomes President of the Treasury Board
- Marie-Claude Bibeau becomes Minister of National Revenue
- Bill Blair becomes Minister of National Defence
- Randy Boissonnault becomes Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
- Jean-Yves Duclos becomes Minister of Public Services and Procurement
- Sean Fraser becomes Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Karina Gould becomes Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
- Mark Holland becomes Minister of Health
- Ahmed Hussen becomes Minister of International Development
- Gudie Hutchings becomes Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- Kamal Khera becomes Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
- Dominic LeBlanc becomes Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Diane Lebouthillier becomes Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
- Marc Miller becomes Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
- Mary Ng becomes Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
- Seamus O’Regan Jr. becomes Minister of Labour and Seniors
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor becomes Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
- Carla Qualtrough becomes Minister of Sport and Physical Activity
- Pablo Rodriguez becomes Minister of Transport and will continue to serve as Quebec Lieutenant
- Harjit S. Sajjan becomes President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
- Pascale St-Onge becomes Minister of Canadian Heritage
- Jonathan Wilkinson becomes Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
In addition to Minister Valdez, the Prime Minister also welcomed the following new members:
- Gary Anandasangaree becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
- Terry Beech becomes Minister of Citizens’ Services
- Soraya Martinez Ferrada becomes Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
- Ya’ara Saks becomes Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
- Jenna Sudds becomes Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
- Arif Virani becomes Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
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