Securing Canada's economic recovery and regaining its position on the international scene topped the agenda of Prime Minister Stephen Harper mind as he unveiled the first cabinet of his majority government Wednesday, according to dpa. "Canadians can count on this government to pursue measures that create jobs and growth ... and reduce and eliminate the deficit," Harper said in a statement. In a major cabinet reshuffle, Harper promoted his trusted lieutenant, former Conservative House Leader John Baird, to the job of foreign affairs minister. Baird replaces Lawrence Cannon, who was defeated in the May 2 election. Baird's appointment was seen as a sign that following Canada's failure to secure a rotating UN Security Council seat last year, Harper intends to reinvigorate his foreign policy. "Diplomat is not the first image that comes to the mind with John Baird, pitbull is more like it," said Antonia Maioni, director of the Institute for the Study of Canada at McGill University in Montreal. "He's someone Mr Harper can rely on. He's someone who has shown his worth and his muscle in getting Mr Harper's message through. He is a man who will not be a loose cannon." In a surprise move, Harper also named Ed Fast, a backbencher from British Columbia, as international trade minister. Fast is expected to play a key role in the ongoing negotiations of a free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. Tony Clement left the industry portfolio to take over the powerful Treasury Board, while, as expected, veteran Finance Minister Jim Flaherty kept his old job. His fiscal stimulus package was credited with helping Canada avoid the worst of the world economic crisis, but it also left Canada with a record 57-billion-dollar budget deficit in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Flaherty, the longest serving G-7 finance minister, has vowed to eliminate the deficit by 2015. Christian Paradis, the new industry minister, will have the task of completing a review of a proposal by the London Stock Exchange to buy TMX Group, the operator of the Toronto Stock Exchange. Defence Minister Peter MacKay received reinforcements with former Ontario provincial police chief Julian Fantino being named as his deputy. "Minister of national defence is a big portfolio now," Maioni said, "and it's going to become even more important as we transition in Afghanistan and as we move towards the purchase of these (F-35) fighter jets." Canadian troops are set to end their combat role in southern Afghanistan in July but will continue training Afghan army and police at training bases in Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat.
