OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet shuffle, announced this morning, included a significant number of changes, including (as previously speculated) major shifts in the ministries with oversight of the CRTC and Canada’s cable, radio, television and telecom industries.
James Moore has been named the new Industry Minister, replacing Christian Paradis. Shelly Glover, MP for Saint Boniface in Winnipeg, will be taking over Moore’s position as Heritage Minister. Paradis, who had been Industry Minister since May 2011, takes on two new portfolios as the new Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie.
The cabinet changes, regarded to be one of the largest Harper has made in his years in office, were first made public via the PM’s Twitter account in a steady stream of tweets ahead of the official 11 a.m. announcement.
As the new Industry Minister, Moore can draw on his nearly five years of experience as Heritage Minister in dealing with Canada’s wireless, new media and telecom businesses. Glover, however, appears to be a relative newcomer to the cable, radio, television and telecom industries. First elected in 2008 as MP for Saint Boniface, Glover’s political experience includes stints as parliamentary secretary to the Ministers of Finance and Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and for Official Languages.
In a Youtube video, Glover thanked Harper for the “amazing opportunity” to serve as the new Heritage Minister. She is one of eight new faces – and one of four new women – added to Harper’s cabinet today.
