Winnipeg's Carr, Ouellette among possible Trudeau cabinet ministers
Two rookie MPs from Manitoba are being mentioned as possible cabinet members in the Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government.
Trudeau, whose Liberal Party swept into power with a majority win in Monday's federal election, has said the new cabinet — chosen from among his 183 MPs — will be sworn in on Nov. 4 and will have gender balance.
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Jim Carr, who defeated Conservative incumbent Joyce Bateman by more than 17,000 votes in the Winnipeg South Centre riding, has been listed by political reporters and analysts as a possibility.
The former newspaper journalist, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra oboist and director of the Manitoba Arts Council has political experience as a Manitoba Liberal MLA from 1988 to 1991. He was also deputy leader of the provincial Liberal Party during that time.
The other name on some lists is Robert-Falcon Ouellette, the giant-killer in Winnipeg-Centre who defeated longtime NDP MP Pat Martin by 8,981 votes.
Ouellette, who was born in Saskatchewan and raised in Calgary, moved to Winnipeg from Quebec City five years ago, after getting a job at the University of Manitoba. He took his first shot at a political seat a year ago, running for mayor of Winnipeg and coming in third.
Deciding on cabinet positions is going to be a big task for Trudeau, who has said he wants to slim down the number of ministers to 25 from the 40 it ballooned to under Stephen Harper.
Trudeau has not yet set a date for reconvening Parliament.
With files from The Canadian Press