The new cabinet is, in part, a response to Justin Trudeau,

Cabinet shuffles are often touted as transformational events, which they hardly are, but there is no doubt the ministerial changes unveiled Monday by Prime Minister Stephen Harper are the most sweeping since he came to power seven years ago.

The Prime Minister’s Office calls the changes substantial and significant, but whether they are enough to get the government out of the political morass it found itself in the last year or so is debatable.

With 38 members, eight of them new, the cabinet is huge. A slimmer cabinet would have been in line with the times. But in keeping the core of his team, Harper has chosen experience over the much-expected generational change. And by retaining the core economic team, the shuffle also suggests that improving the economy remains the fundamental goal of the government. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, International Trade Minister Ed Fast, who has the European trade deal to complete, and Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, who is spearheading the Keystone pipeline to the U.S., remain in place. So do Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, House Leader Peter Van Loan and Treasury Board President Tony Clement, all veterans.

There were some surprises, however. Chris Alexander’s appointment to fill the big shoes of Jason Kenney at Immigration is one to watch. So is Steven Blaney as the new minister of Public Safety, an important portfolio under the Conservatives. Kenney’s deployment to Employment and Social Development is a huge surprise, given this is not a big portfolio. But it may well be that this is a new super department to oversee job creation, and Kenney’s appointment signals jobs will be a priority. Another change to watch is John Duncan, the new Chief Whip, who has the tough job of keeping a restless backbench happy and in line. Shelley Glover’s elevation to Heritage is well-deserved, as is Lisa Raitt’s move to Transport.

The big question, however, is what will really change?

Harper went into this facing two major challenges: one immediate, and the other, longterm. With the Senate scandal inflicting significant damage, Harper’s immediate goal was to find a way to press the reset button and start fresh. But the shuffle by itself was never going to do that, because what the Senate scandal and discontent in the backbench revealed was a government facing a struggle for its soul. The solution is a sea change in Harper’s approach to politics and direction, which we have yet to see.

The longer-term problem is Justin Trudeau. Much as the Conservatives tried to paint him as not being up to prime time, it has become clear that Trudeau has staying power and has to be taken seriously. The Liberal leader clearly appeals to a younger generation, and Harper has to deal with that problem, hence the emphasis on new blood and women in the cabinet. However, the case for generational change will be difficult to sustain considering the front bench remains decidedly old-school, and many of the new faces, including Ottawa’s Pierre Poilievre, have been given relatively junior portfolios. Women are big winners in the shuffle, with eight of the 12 female ministers having full cabinet rank.

But this shuffle hasn’t turned the page. It is only a start.

OTTAWA CITIZEN