19 January, 2010

Stephen Harper fine tunes his cabinet -

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has unveiled his new lineup of cabinet ministers -- a process Harper described as "fine tuning."

Stockwell Day becomes president of the Treasury Board, where he'll team up with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to try to slay the ballooning deficit.

Of course, while some ministers' profiles go up, others by necessity go down.

Lisa Raitt is a case in point. Touted as a big star when she was first appointed, Raitt has drawn tough criticism for her handling of an isotope shortage, and for her inappropriate comments about her fellow cabinet-mates.

At the same time, another female minister is getting a leg up once again. Rona Ambrose, who was once removed from the Environment file for weak performance, now gets a second chance at a major portfolio: Public Works.

But on balance, more women were demoted than promoted. Diane Ablonczy moves from tourism and small business to the seniors file, an even lower-profile assignment. Ablonczy clears the tourism and small business portfolio for a backbencher that Harper also went out of his way to praise: Rob Moore of New Brunswick.

And Harper promoted two members of his Quebec caucus. Former revenue minster Jean-Pierre Blackburn will take on the more visible role of veterans affairs minister. And former public works minister Christian Paradis moves up to natural resources, where he'll handle tough files like nuclear energy and oil sands development.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff dismissed the shuffle and Harper's attempt to make his star players more prominent.

"It's a one-man show," he said. "I think there's never been a cabinet so under the domination of the prime minister's office. We don't think that's good for Canadian democracy. And we think the sign of that is the prorogation of Parliament."

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