What happened: Vancouver MP Joyce Murray has been promoted amidst fallout of SNC-Lavalin scandal
What it means: B.C. presence in cabinet is being maintained following MP Jody Wilson-Raybould’s resignation
Vancouver Quadra MP Joyce Murray has been named Treasury Board President and Minister of Digital Government following a third federal cabinet shuffle in as many months.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Murray to lead the vacant post Monday (March 18) following resignations stemming from the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
Murray previously served as parliamentary secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.
Murray’s promotion follows the resignation of fellow Vancouver MP Jody Wilson-Raybould, who departed cabinet as Veterans Affairs minister last month.
Wilson-Raybould previously served as justice minister and attorney general before being shuffled into Veterans Affairs.
She alleged she had felt pressured inappropriately by the Prime Minister’s Office to intercede in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, a Quebec engineering firm.
Wilson-Raybould’s resignation was followed by that of Jane Philpott, who had been serving as Treasury Board President since January.
Philpott said she had lost confidence in the government due to the way it had handled the SNC-Lavalin affair.
Murray was a B.C. government minister prior to entering federal politics in 2008. She later ran against Trudeau during the federal Liberals’ 2012-13 leadership race.
In a March 5 blog post Murray stated she had “absolute confidence in the integrity of our Prime Minister, and I am immensely grateful for the critical work he and the Liberal team are doing.”
