Western alumni William Morneau, BA’86 (Political Science), and Jane Philpott, MD’84, were named today among 31 members of the new Liberal cabinet of recently elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau tapped Morneau as Finance Minister and Philpott as Health Minister at swearing-in ceremonies held today at Rideau Hall.

“This strong, diverse and experienced team will serve all Canadians, and for the first time in our country’s history, there will be an equal number of women and men around the Cabinet table,” Trudeau said at the ceremony. “Canadians expect to see their values and priorities reflected in their government, and we have listened closely to them. Canadians told us what kind of government they want, and we built the plan to make it happen.”

MORNEAU

William Francis ‘Bill’ Morneau is an accomplished business leader who has been an active volunteer in Toronto Centre for more than 20 years.

When consulting and outsourcing company Morneau Shepell was founded, it employed 200 people. After Morneau assumed leadership of the family business in 1990, the company expanded to providing meaningful and stable work for over 3,300 families across Canada.

He studied retirement issues as a member of the Government of Ontario’s Pension Advisory Council and, in 2012, was appointed as Pension Investment Advisor to Ontario’s Minister of Finance.

Morneau’s community service in Toronto Centre is extensive. He has worked to support the arts, help street kids and improve access to health care and education. He was chair of the board of St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation, and sat on the boards of The Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation, and The Learning Partnership. In addition he has been chair of the board of Covenant House and the C.D. Howe Institute.

Internationally, Morneau founded a special school for Somali and Sudanese youth in an African refugee camp.

In 2002, he was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. He has co-authored a book, The Real Retirement, and has authored numerous articles on public policy issues.

Morneau holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western University, a Masters of Science from the London School of Economics and an MBA from INSEAD.

PHILPOTT

Jane Philpott is a family physician and was the Chief of the Department of Family Medicine at Markham Stouffville Hospital. She was also an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Between 1989 -98, Philpott worked in the West African country of Niger, where she practised general medicine and helped to develop a training program for village health workers. In 2004, she founded Give a Day to World AIDS, which has raised over $4 million to help those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Philpott also served as co-curator of TEDxStouffville, a video and speakers series, and was family medicine lead at the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration, where she was instrumental in helping Addis Ababa University develop Ethiopia’s first training program for family medicine.

Philpott has raised four children alongside her husband, CBC Radio journalist Pep Philpott. She is particularly active in her Community Mennonite Church, where she is a song leader for the congregation.

In addition to Morneau and Philpott, other members of the new Liberal cabinet included:

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, also minister of intergovernmental affairs and youth;
• Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale;
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay;
• Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion;
• Immigration Minister John McCallum;
• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett;
• Treasury Board President Scott Brison;
• Government House leader Dominc LeBlanc;
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Singh Bains;
• Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould;
• Public Services Minister Judy Foote;
• International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland;
• Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos;
• Transport Minister Marc Garneau;
• International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau;
• Natural Resources Minister James Carr;
• Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly;
• Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier;
• Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr;
• Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna;
• Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan;
• Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk;
• Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi;
• Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef;
• Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough;
• Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo;
• Science Minister Kirsty Duncan;
• Status of Women Minister Patricia Hajdu; and
• Small Business Minister Bardish Chagger.