Canada’s Trudeau plans cabinet shuffle

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is going to carry out a wide-ranging cabinet shuffle on Wednesday to focus on the economy at a time when the cost of living is a major issue for voters. Trudeau, whose left-leaning Liberals have been in power since November 2015, will make the formal announcement at Rideau Hall, home to Governor General Mary Simon, the official representative of head of state King Charles. The Canadian prime minister looks set to leave heavy hitters such as Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly in their cabinet portfolios. Instead, in a shuffle of mainly second-tier ministers, he will seek to improve messaging on the economy at a time when the official opposition Conservatives are ahead in the polls. “In the core economic files we are going to add more strength,” a senior government source said on condition of anonymity. “The idea is to put new energy in key roles, and to put experienced people into new roles. When the time comes, they will be ready to hit the campaign trail.”