Agence France-Presse, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper sought new life for his minority government August 14 by reshuffling his cabinet, notably replacing his defense chief who was accused of mishandling Canada’s military involvement in Afghanistan.
Harper replaced defense minister Gordon O’Connor after a series of blunders regarding the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, including a fracas over their handling of Afghan prisoners, misstatements over the future mission profile and over burials for soldiers killed in the conflict.
The missteps had made O’Connor a lightning rod for criticism from the opposition, and threatened to weaken Harper’s government.
In a news conference, Harper emphasized the importance of the 2,500-troop force’s role in Afghanistan to his government.
“Obviously the Afghan mission remains Canada’s most important military and foreign affairs commitment in the world,” he said.
Replacing O’Connor is current Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, 41, who gives up his post to Industry Minister Maxime Bernier.
In all, nine people got new posts in the cabinet shakeup seen by analysts as a bid by Harper to breath new life into his Conservative party ahead of possible federal elections.
“I’ve given some new assignments to ministers for the next phase of our mandate, to broaden their base of experience and build the team for the longer term,” Harper said.
“We did what we said we were going to do. Now it’s time to keep moving forward,” he said, listing priority areas as “asserting and defending our sovereignty … continuing to lower taxes,” tackling crime and protecting the environment.
Numerous analysts said Harper had needed to name to key posts officials who could better enunciate and defend the politically sensitive Afghan mission, after 22 Canadian soldiers have died there this year.
The mission threatens to dominate politics in Quebec province, the source of the majority of the military contingent in Afghanistan. Polls show that most voters in the francophone province, which can be crucial in national elections, are hostile to the mission.
And while Harper needs to strengthen his party’s presence in Quebec if he hopes to gain a majority government, anti-war sentiment there threatens to grow with each new soldier death.
McGill University political scientist Antonia Maioni said the recomposition of the cabinet aimed at reenergizing the Conservative government after a year and a half in power.
“It is a little bit like a war cabinet,” she told AFP, pointing to the prominent role Afghanistan will play in any eventual election.
The government faces stagnant poll numbers: survey firm SES published data August 14 showing 36 percent of voters backed the Conservatives — the same level in the 2006 elections — against 33 percent for the Liberals, the main opposition party.
With a 3.3 percent margin of error, the poll puts the two parties neck and neck.
The opposition, led by Liberal Party chief Stephane Dion, characterized the second Harper cabinet shakeup in eight months as little more than “musical chairs.”
The shakeup saw O’Connor moved to the revenue portfolio, Jim Prentice dropping Indian affairs to take the industry job from new foreign affairs chief Bernier; and Bev Oda going from Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women to Minister of International Cooperation.
