Navdeep Bains has reportedly decided not to run in the next election and will no longer be the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
Current Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne will replace Bains, as reported by the CBC, which cites sources who have knowledge of the cabinet shuffle.
The shuffle is expected to occur on January 12th around 9am ET, and will be the first virtual cabinet shuffle due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Bains was appointed the role of Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development in November 2015. During his time in the position, Bains created a policy directive that requires the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to consider affordability and fairness for Canadians in its decisions.
Last year, Bains detailed efforts to reduce mid-range phone plans by 25 percent within two years, and his office has since published quarterly reports outlining progress towards this objective.
He also launched the Digital Charter in 2019, which aims to guide policymakers on future legislation regarding digital platforms. Further, Bains has been involved in the decision about whether Huawei should be banned from participating in the deployment of 5G networks in Canada.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Bains has worked to ensure that Canada obtains rapid testing kits, 3D-printed face shields and other tools to help fight against the virus.
More recently, Bains introduced the proposed Digital Charter Implementation Act to modernize Canadian privacy laws.
Update 12/01/20 9:30am ET: François-Philippe Champagne has been sworn in as new Innovation Minister.
Source: CBC News
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
