Do the Shuffle

In an effort to refresh his fortunes in the national polls, and to put the scandals of the first half of 2013 behind him, Prime Minister Stephen Harper re-shuffled his cabinet today. Only four of the previous cabinet's ministers kept their portfolio or saw their responsibilities unchanged, but in the end, the 39 member cabinet seeks to promote the feeling of steady leadership with a mixture of new faces to inject some new energy and fresh ideas. The cabinet is still as big as ever, and the number of women in cabinet did increase (from 11 to 12), but the question remains: is this enough for Harper to change the optics and come out into the fall session on the offensive rather than the defensive? 

Here's the full list of cabinet members:

• Leona Aglukkaq: The former Minister of Health becomes the Minister of the Environment
• Chris Alexander: The new Minister of Citizenship and Immigration replaces Jason Kenney
• Rona Ambrose: Becomes the Minister of Health (former Minister of State for the Status of Women and Minister of Western Economic Diversification)
• John Baird: Keeps his job as Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Candice Bergen: The new Minister of State for Social Development
• Maxime Bernier: Keeps his job as Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism. Adds Agriculture to his portfolio
• Steven Blaney: Becomes the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (former Minister of Veterans Affairs and La Francophonie)
• Tony Clement: Keeps his job as President of the Treasury Board
• John Duncan: The new Minister of State and Chief Government Whip
• Julian Fantino: Becomes the Minister of Veterans Affairs (former Minister of International Cooperation)
• Edward Fast: Keeps his job as Minister of International Trade
• Kerry-Lynne Findlay: The new Minister of National Revenue
• Diane Finley: Becomes the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada (former Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development)
• Jim Flaherty: Keeps his job as Minister of Finance
• Shelly Glover: The new Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
• Gary Goodyear: Keeps his job as the Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
• Bal Gosal: Keeps his job as Minister of State for Sports
• Jason Kenney: Takes on a new portfolio called Employment and Social Development (former Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism)
• Denis Lebel: Keeps his job as Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. Also becomes the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs (former Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs)
• Kellie Leitch: The new Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
• Peter MacKay: Now the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
• James Moore: The former Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages becomes the Minister of Industry
• Rob Moore: The new Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
• Rob Nicholson: Becomes the Minister of Defence after switching cabinet positions with Peter MacKay
• Joe Oliver: Keeps his job as Minister of Natural Resources
• Christian Paradis: The former Minister of Industry becomes the Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie
• Pierre Poilievre: The new Minister of State for Democratic Reform
• Lisa Raitt: The former Minister of Labour becomes the Minister of Transport
• Michelle Rempel: The new Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification
• Greg Rickford: The new Minister of State for Science and Technology and the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
• Gerry Ritz: Keeps his job as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
• Gail Shea: Becomes the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (former Minister of National Revenue and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
• Kevin Sorenson: The new Minister of State for Finance
• Tim Uppal: Becomes the Minister of State for Multiculturalism (former Minister of State for Democratic Reform)
• Bernard Valcourt: Keeps his job as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
• Peter Van Loan: Keeps his job as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
• Alice Wong: Keeps her job as Minister of State for Seniors
• Lynne Yelich: The former Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification becomes the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Consular Services