PUNJABORIGIN CANADIAN MINISTER SOHI GETS KEY DEPT
NEW DELHI: All four Punjab-origin ministers have retained their positions in a major cabinet reshuffle carried out by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in what is described as the beginning of his preparations for the 2019 elections. Punjab-origin Amarjeet Sohi from Edmonton Mill Woods was shifted to key natural resources ministry. The two other Punjab-origin cabinet ministers --- Naavdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and economic development and Harjit Sajan, minister of national defence --- have retained their portfolios. Bardish Chagger lost the tourism portfolio but retained her key position as the leader of government in House of Commons.
TORONTO: Canadian minister Amarjeet Sohi has received a promotion after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reshuffled his cabinet, taking over the natural resources portfolio. One of the Indian-origin leader’s predecessors to that post has urged him to focus on deepening energy ties with India.
The elevation of Sohi, formerly the minister for infrastructure and communities, was welcomed by Herb Dhaliwal — the first Indo-Canadian named a federal minister in 1997.
“This is a very senior economic portfolio. This is big promotion,” he said of Sohi’s new role. This was a “huge” remit encompassing mining, oil and gas and energy, affecting “all parts of the Canadian economy,” he said.
Dhaliwal was hopeful that Sohi would focus on building an energy partnership with India.
He said this was a need for both countries, with Canada seeking diversification of energy exports beyond the US and India seeking long-term energy security. He felt US sanctions on Iran — a major source of India’s imports — was also a factor for New Delhi’s calculations in this regard, and Canada could be reliable source for the future.
While Sohi will have just about 15 months before the federal polls in 2019, Dhaliwal said: “You have to start the work somewhere. It’s obvious there’s a desire from both countries.”
Sohi’s ties to India, he hoped, could facilitate progress in this sector. Among Sohi’s challenges will be dealing with “the completion of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project,” as mandated by Trudeau. Acquired by the government earlier this year, this has proven controversial with much of Canada divided over it, and could factor into the Liberal Party’s prospects in 2019.
The project could prove an onerous task for Sohi to shepherd during the build up to the new election in 2019. Not only is the Canadian public divided in its views on pipelines, it has also resulted in schism between the provinces of British Columbia, which opposes it, and Alberta, which is in support of the project.