# Trudeau's Cabinet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738 "2015-11-05T17:59:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/41 "2015-11-06T20:33:38Z")
Honestly, I don’t remember any PM saying, or feeling the need to say, that. ---
**Author:** ![yawuntz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@yawuntz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawuntz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/42 "2015-11-06T20:37:50Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > His PM is a Trudeau. Believe me, that will burn him for years. Yep 🙂 That and the fact that Trudeau got his majority on his first try. Speaking of qualifications, anybody remember Felix Holtmann from the Mulroney years? He had a degree in agriculture, had sat on some hog marketing boards, and was famous (or notorious, notwithstanding that he had a point) for his following comment, among others: Holtmann was appointed chair of parliament’s committee on communications and culture in 1989. After his appointment, he was quoted as saying, **“I don’t understand art, but I do understand one thing - somewhere we’ve got to cut, cut, cut”** ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/43 "2015-11-06T21:17:48Z")
An Elections thread on the start of the (Second) Trudeau Era: [[Canada] Trudeau gets to work - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=774286) ---
**Author:** ![tingbudong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tingbudong/32/520_2.png) [@tingbudong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tingbudong)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/44 "2015-11-06T23:00:33Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > . > Tell you what. Come up with THREE examples of appointments to cabinet who are NOT well qualified, and explain why. Then come up with alternatives from the Liberal caucus who are better qualified, and explain why. I agree with this 100% and it’s the best response I’ve heard to the whole “i want the most qualified” argument toward the 50/50 gender split. Until I see an alternative list, it’s a lame argument. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/45 "2015-11-06T23:00:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Every incoming Prime Minister says that. I don’t remember Mr Harper saying that the Liberals weren’t his enemies on taking office. Frankly, I think the words would have choked him. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/46 "2015-11-07T00:05:58Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I don’t remember Mr Harper saying that the Liberals weren’t his enemies on taking office. Frankly, I think the words would have choked him. 😛 Well, he did say the usual stuff like “We will work for all Canadians, even those who didn’t vote for us” or some such. The usual boilerplate. His actions certainly did not follow those words. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/47 "2015-11-07T02:17:55Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Every incoming Prime Minister says that. First, not that I’m aware of. Second, Obama said it four years before he was elected, and Trudeau said it some time before as well, though I don’t know exactly when. I didn’t say they were a perfect match, but I was struck by the number of parallels in their elections. The fact that Trudeau won’t be hampered by an obstructionist opposition has nothing to do with what’s happened up to now. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/48 "2015-11-07T02:22:06Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > One is openly ginger Yay! > [@Steken](#): > > Well that’s just wrong. On the list. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/49 "2015-11-07T02:32:38Z")
> [@bb49](#): > > So now we have people overseeing important sections of the country and economy and they were given that job because of their gender, and not because of their intellect or knowledge. > Let’s hope these cabinet ministers are smarter than their leader because that was a very foolish decision. For several generations, the British Empire, including what is now Canada, gave ministerships exclusively to males, and not quite exclusively to Anglo-Saxon Christian males, which is a far more egregious case of basing an appointment on such irrelevancies. And yet, somehow, they muddled through. I suspect Trudeau can do the same for a mere several years. > [@D18](#): > > The irony is that Trudeau himself has the least impressive resume and is probably among the least-accomplished members of government as far as pre-political life goes. Started out with a BA and BEd and became a teacher. That of course is totally a totally noble profession, but did he stick with that? Nope. Started and didn’t complete a degree in engineering. Then started and didn’t complete a masters in environmental geography. > > So our current prime minister has a long history of dabbling! 😉 That actually makes sense in a way. A PM, or a chief executive, has to be moderately conversant in a broad range of subjects, whatever his own expertise (or lack thereof). And environmental geography is at least relevant to Canada’s needs, yes? Pedagogy might be as well, in a way. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/50 "2015-11-07T02:47:36Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > Congrats Canada, but I must confess I am clueless of the term. > Fight this old geezer’s ignorance. > Thanks. “Ginger” is actually UK slang for someone with bright red hair. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/51 "2015-11-07T11:02:35Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > “Ginger” is actually UK slang for someone with bright red hair. Thank you. That is what I thought. It was the “openly” that threw me. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/52 "2015-11-07T20:34:34Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > For several generations, the British Empire, including what is now Canada, gave ministerships exclusively to males, and not quite exclusively to Anglo-Saxon Christian males, which is a far more egregious case of basing an appointment on such irrelevancies. In Canada, French Christian males were included in the club from the beginning of responsible government. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/53 "2015-11-07T23:51:46Z")
I’m excited about the new MND. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/54 "2015-11-08T05:33:14Z")
The new Minister of Democratic Institutions is my MP. 🙂 [sub]Note: find out what a Minister of Democratic Institutions actually _does_.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/55 "2015-11-08T05:54:54Z")
That’s easy: institutionalises non-democrats in democracy indoctrination institutes until they are democratic, whereupon they are released. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/56 "2015-11-08T13:53:17Z")
The terms will be set out in the letter of appointment. I expect it would deal with the procedural operation of the House (e.g. committee work, free v. whipped votes, MP office budgets, etc.), first past the post, and senate reform. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/57 "2015-11-08T14:16:29Z")
The Minister for Democratic Institutions has an interesting life story: [Maryam Monsef Came To Canada As A Refugee. Now, She’s A Cabinet Minister.](http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/11/04/maryam-monsef_n_8468048.html) ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/58 "2015-11-09T07:17:16Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > This [National Post article](http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-trudeau-appoints-a-cabinet-of-people-more-qualified-than-he-is)made me laugh and laugh. > > Trudeau appoints a bunch of VERY qualified people to cabinet. > > And what do they say about this? “Trudeau appoints a cabinet of people more qualified than he is” > > My God. Are they trying to be as idiotic as possible? I guess they are simply unable to see out of the Authoritarian paradigm that they’re stuck in. They seem to be unable to comprehend a leader who actually works with smart people, and rather think that leaders should command a bunch of yes-men and sycophants. Can’t find the source for the quote, but it seems apropos: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room”. Sounds like your new PM has taken that to heart. Glad y’all are excited and hopeful - that beats cynical and jaded every day. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/59 "2015-11-12T04:46:22Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > First, not that I’m aware of. [QUOTE=Northern Piper] I don’t remember Mr Harper saying that the Liberals weren’t his enemies on taking office. Frankly, I think the words would have choked him. [/QUOTE] This stuff is just stupid easy to find: Election night speech 2006: “Those who did not vote for me, I pledge to lead a government that will work for all of us - we will move forward together … Tonight, although Canadians have voted for change, they have not given any one party a majority in the House of Commons. They have asked us to co-operate, to work together, and to get on with tackling the real issues that matter to ordinary working people and their families. I look forward to working with all of the parties and all members of Parliament to build consensus and move Canada forward.” 2011: "Whether or not you cast a vote for our party, our government must and will stand on guard for all regions, and friends, we shall do that faithfully … I think I can speak for the entire country in recognizing the determination and tenacity of Mr. Layton and his remarkable campaign. This is a day, friends, for which the NDP has long worked … I look forward to working with him in Ottawa … To Ms. May, Elizabeth May, as well, congratulation for the historic victory, no with is more noteworthy for any political party than its first … " I can’t find a good text of the 2008 speech but the same sentiments are an absolutely standard part of every victory speech. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738/60 "2015-11-12T06:11:51Z")
Still no mention of the Liberals being his not-enemies. 😃 (And I notice that you left off the 😛 when quoting my comment. You know, the :p, which is a standard way of indicating that’s a joke, son, a joke!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trudeaus-cabinet/736738.md?page=2)