Saskatchewan’s only Liberal Member of Parliament is taking on a new role in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.
Buckley Belanger, who represents Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River, has been sworn in as Secretary of State for Rural Development.
He is one of 10 secretaries of state appointed by Carney.
“Belanger is going to have to wear a number of different caps here,” said Daniel Westlake, assistant professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan.
“He’s the Liberal MP from Saskatchewan, he’s the rural Liberal MP for Western Canada and he’s an Indigenous MP, so he’s got a lot of groups that he’s going to have to represent,” Westlake added.
The secretaries serve as members of the Privy Council and are responsible for important matters within their respective federal departments.
Although secretaries of state do not attend every cabinet meeting, they participate in discussions when topics related to their portfolios are being addressed.
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“It’ll really depend on how much Carney wants to invite people in these secretary of state positions to cabinet discussions,” said Westlake.
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron called the appointment a positive step, saying it offers Indigenous leaders a direct point of contact in Ottawa.
“We have a direct link with him now,” Cameron said. “We can just phone him and say, ‘Buckley, here’s what we’re doing at the FSIN, here’s our main concerns, but more importantly, here’s our direction.”
Cameron adds that he hopes Belanger’s Métis background will bring indigenous priorities to the forefront in Ottawa.
“The housing conditions, the policing issues we face, the health crisis, the impacts where social issues do devastating damage to our First Nations,” said Cameron. “So in that sense, he can be a good voice and an advocate in the House of Commons.”
Belanger previously served two terms as the NDP MLA for Athabasca before switching to federal politics as a Liberal.
In a statement, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck congratulated her former colleague and emphasized the need for Ottawa to stay focused on Saskatchewan’s priorities.
“There’s a renewed consensus right now for nation-building projects — rail lines, pipelines, power lines and highways,” Beck wrote. “We cannot let this consensus go to waste.”
Belanger’s appointment comes as three Indigenous ministers join Carney’s federal cabinet, something Westlake says is a start of a broader effort to increase representation at the decision-making table.
“At the same time, it’ll be interesting to see what happens when indigenous issues end up creating challenges or perhaps tensions with some of the other government’s priorities,” Westlake added.
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