Cabinet to meet for first time since byelection loss amid speculation over shuffle

OTTAWA — The Prime Minister’s Office says the Liberal cabinet will have a brief meeting this Friday.

A separate source with knowledge of the meeting who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly said it was scheduled to be 20 minutes long.

Cabinet has to approve some governor-in-council appointments before they can be announced.

The brief meeting will mark the first time cabinet ministers have come together since Liberals’ devastating loss in a Toronto byelection last month.

Since then, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been plagued by questions over whether he should resign, and media reports have speculated about a possible cabinet shuffle.

It is not unusual for cabinet to meet less frequently during the summer, as MPs fan out to hit the countrywide barbecue circuit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press