Trudeau poised to shuffle, retool cabinet with focus on 2019 election

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau will shuffle his front benches today to install the roster of ministers that will be entrusted with leading the Liberal team into next year’s election.

Sources say the changes will expand the prime minister’s cabinet by adding new posts to showcase up-and-coming MPs and to broaden the profile of a party that has long pinned its fortunes to the Trudeau brand.

The shuffle appears designed to ensure deft communicators are well-placed to spell out the government’s positions and defend policies on hot political issues leading up to the 2019 election campaign.

Insiders have indicated there’s a possibility Ottawa will appoint a minister dedicated to seniors, a post that once existed in past federal cabinets.

The mid-summer shakeup will give ministers a couple of months to get up to speed on their new portfolios before they return to Parliament this fall, and the Liberals will hope they can master their responsibilities ahead of the election.

Nearly three years into its four-year mandate, the Liberal government has few remaining opportunities to rejig its cabinet lineup.