New transport minister in small cabinet shuffle

Sep 19, 2024
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Anita Anand will take over for Pablo Rodriguez

A small cabinet shuffle in Ottawa on Thursday will result in a new federal transport minister.

Current Treasury Board President Anita Anand is set to add the transport minister portfolio to her workload, CTV News and the Star have reported.

Anita Anand

This move comes after former minister of transport Pablo Rodriguez announced his resignation from cabinet and from the federal Liberal Party as he prepares to compete for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.

Rodrguez will sit as an independent MP for Honoré-Mercier, Que.

As the new transport minister, Anand will be responsible for serving the public interest through the promotion of a safe and secure, efficient and environmentally responsible transportation system in Canada, Transport Canada’s website says.

She will have authority over multiple pieces of legislation that could affect ag, like the Canada Shipping Act and the Rail Safety Act.

In November 2020, for example, then Transport Minister Marc Garneau issued a ministerial order under rail safety law to restrict train speeds based on cold temperature conditions, and to improve winter rail operations.

Rodriguez also served as Prime Minister Trudeau’s Quebec lieutenant and was an advisor and spokesperson on issues specific to Quebec.

It’s expected Jean-Yves Duclos, the current minister of public services and procurement, will take that position.

Video: A Farm Song (Busy) | Parody of A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey

Lyrics:

My days begin with workin’, Alarm’s at 5 o’clock,
I Fill 5 gallon buckets, The feeders and the troughs,
This five to nine ain’t workin’, why the heck do I work so hard?,
I can’t worry ‘bout health problems, I can sleep in when I’m gone,

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

I’ve been working pretty stressed but,
I ain’t changing for some cash,
Lord knows that I’m very blessed (More chores),
But I gotta say it’s hard,
Workin’ outside gettin’ charred,
Living out here on the farm, (more chores)

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history
There’s another 20 chickens that still need feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm getting’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Fun, here on ranch that’s what you can’t ignore,
Might be pretty hard but I love it to its core,
Flannel’s gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores (Tell ‘em sing with me)

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
Watching cattle in the dark, don’t miss me,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
(Yeeeeeehaw)
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
It’s the best bro, go get yourself a farm