A Burnaby MP will retain his current portfolio after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's latest cabinet shuffle as Chrystia Freeland's resignation continues to alter the current Canadian political landscape.
Burnaby North-Seymour MP Terry Beech will remain in his position as Minister of Citizens' Services. He was named minister on July 26, 2023.
“Terry is known as a customer service-oriented MP, and now he can expand his commitment to Canadians on a truly national basis,” said Beech's chief of staff Julie Astley after the Liberal politician's appointment.
Beech previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (B.C.), as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and as Parliamentary Secretary for Science.
Freeland's abrupt departure as finance minister and deputy prime minister forced Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet on Friday, Dec. 20.
This prompted Burnaby's other MP and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to call on Trudeau to resign.
Anita Anand, Gary Anandasangaree, Steven MacKinnon and Ginette Petitpas Taylor received new positions while eight new MPs were added to cabinet.
Beech, meanwhile, was elected as MP in 2015, when he beat NDP candidate Carol Baird Ellan by 3,401 votes (he garnered 18,938).
In the 2019 federal election, he won by 1,585 votes with a total of 17,770, and in 2021, he won by 5,127 votes with a total of 19,445, according to Elections Canada.
With files from Lauren Vanderdeen, Burnaby NOW, and The Canadian Press
