-- CTF Reacts to Mid-Summer Federal Cabinet Shuffle --

OTTAWA: Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) Federal Director Walter Robinson today reacted to the federal cabinet shuffle. In total the Prime Minister removed five members from the federal Cabinet, promoted six new individuals to ministerial posts and moved five Ministers to different portfolios.

"These changes will do nothing to put a new face on this government which is wedded to the high tax, big government solutions of the 1960s," said Robinson. "Indeed, this new Cabinet can be considered more pro-government intervention than the one that it replaces. This is troubling news for taxpayers."

"In the portfolios where we desperately need a change of direction and bold new thinking - Finance, Industry, and Canadian Heritage - we see no movement whatsoever," added Robinson. "To us this means that the Prime Minister is perfectly happy to continue with unacceptably high taxes, corporate welfare for multi-billion dollar corporations and taxpayer financing of everything from pornography to books of dumb blonde jokes."

"If the federal Cabinet were a hockey team it is very clear that the lines have been shuffled and new home team uniforms have been purchased, but for taxpayers, they're still playing well below .500 and they haven't discarded their tired old high-tax, big government playbook," concluded Robinson.

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For further information contact:
Walter Robinson at 613-234-6554, 1-800-265-0442 or 1-888-236-8490 (national pager).



Ministers Changing Portfolios:

David Anderson (B.C.), from Fisheries & Oceans to Environment

Lucienne Robillard (Que.), from Citizenship & Immigration to Treasury Board

Jane Stewart (Ont.), from Indian and Northern Affairs to Human Resources Development Canada

Pierre Pettigrew (Que.), from Human Resources Development Canada to International Trade

Herb Dhaliwal (B.C.), from National Revenue to Fisheries & Oceans




New Ministers:

Martin Cauchon (Que.), National Revenue

George Baker (Nfld.), Veterans Affairs and ACOA

Bob Nault (Ont.), Indian and Northern Affairs

Maria Minna (Ont.), International Cooperation

Elinor Kaplan (Ont.), Citizenship & Immigration

Denis Coderre (Que.), Fitness and Amateur Sport



Ministers Leaving Cabinet:

Fred Mifflin (Nfld.), Veterans Affairs and ACOA

Marcel Massé (Que.), Treasury Board

Diane Marleau (Ont.), International Cooperation

Sergio Marchi (Ont.), International Trade

Christine Stewart (Ont.), Environment