THUNDER BAY – Patty Hajdu is the new jobs and families minister, but she said Thursday that she’s already familiar with much of her federal cabinet portfolio.
The Thunder Bay–Superior North MP became minister of jobs and families on Tuesday. She’s also the minister responsible for FedNor, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.
“There are aspects of this portfolio I know very well,” said Hajdu, who was minister of employment, workforce development and labour from January 2017 to November 2019.
“But I am very excited to work on some of the social development programs that fall under this department,” Hajdu said.
“For example, as you know, (Prime Minister Mark) Carney has talked about EI reform and a responsive employment insurance program that can adapt to the needs of employers in an uncertain economy, like the one that we're facing right now.
“There's also really exciting work on digital transformation that can make it easier for people to interface with the government of Canada on a variety of different benefits that they receive.
“So this is a very important time in our country to be the minister of jobs and families, because of course the main focus of this department is to support families across the country and to support workers with good-paying, quality jobs.”
Hajdu said she is helming “a very giant department. It represents about six per cent of the annual spend of Canada.
“It includes many of the benefits that Canadians rely on, like Canada Pension, OAS (Old Age Security) and GIS (Guaranteed Income Supplement).
“It also delivers dental care. It also takes care of many of the sort of functionings, like Service Canada offices and passports. But it also has an entire employment arm to it.
“So I'm also the minister of labour. I'm responsible for the Canada Labour Code. I'm responsible for supporting all of the skills training and jobs programs and many of the different transfers that provinces and territories rely on, such as the labour market transfers that provide skills training.”
With Hajdu’s new portfolio she passes on responsibility for Indigenous Services Canada – after 3½ years – to a new member of Parliament, northern Quebec’s Mandy Gull-Masty.
The new Indigenous services minister is herself Indigenous, a former grand chief of a regional First Nations organization, and speaks Cree, Hajdu noted.
“I actually just had a meeting with the minister, and I can tell you that I'm very excited to see what she'll do with the portfolio. She will be able to further those relationships.”
Hajdu was executive director of Shelter House in Thunder Bay before her election to the House of Commons in 2015 and re-election in 2019, 2021 and this April.
Her riding includes many municipalities and First Nations north of Lake Superior, as well as about half of the city of Thunder Bay.