Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin shuffled his cabinet on Tuesday to fill the holes left by the June 28 election, when unhappy voters kicked out six ministers and deprived the Liberals of their majority in Parliament.
Martin left major players such as Finance Minister Ralph Goodale and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan in their places but appointed new ministers of foreign affairs and defence.
He also inserted several newly elected legislators directly into cabinet, including hockey old-timer Ken Dryden and David Emerson, former head of Canada's biggest lumber firm.
"On June 28 Canadians told us that they expect more from our government and we have been guided by that message in building this new cabinet," Martin said in a statement.
It was the second cabinet shuffle in just seven months for Martin, who took over from fellow Liberal Jean Chretien last December amid predictions he would stay in power for a decade.
But Martin's popularity tumbled after a patronage scandal erupted in February and he now has to govern with the support of opposition parties in government. Minority administrations rarely last longer than 18 months in Canada.
Martin's cabinet must now focus on fulfilling election promises to reform the ailing universal health care system and to bring in a nation-wide system of day care.
The decision to keep Goodale in his job was a victory for the stocky finance minister, who sources said had come under heavy pressure from Martin to take on the important job of government leader in Parliament.
Tony Valeri moved from transport to take over as government leader and take charge of negotiating with opposition legislators to ensure the Liberal agenda can be pushed through Parliament without embarrassing defeats.
The election left the position of defence minister vacant and Martin gave the job to Bill Graham, who had been foreign minister since January 2002 and who is on the left wing of the Liberals. The job of foreign minister went to Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew, who had long coveted the position.
Martin, who ditched many of Chretien's ministers when he took over from his arch-rival last December, continued his cull of Chretien supporters by sacking veteran environment minister David Anderson and junior minister Denis Coderre.
International Trade Minister Jim Peterson stayed in his job while John McCallum, a former chief economist at the Royal Bank of Canada, moved from Veterans Affairs to become Minister of National Revenue.
Dryden became minister of social development while Emerson takes over the industry portfolio.
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