Trudeau says new Canada government to be announced on October 26

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will unveil his new government on October 26 and parliament will reopen on November 22, his office said Friday.

"The new Cabinet will remain gender balanced," the prime minister's office said in a statement. 

Trudeau has already indicated that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland will remain in her post. 

The priorities of the new Liberal government, re-elected several weeks ago, will "include re-introducing legislation to ban harmful conversion therapy," which seeks to impose heterosexuality on LGBT people; accelerate climate action to build a cleaner country, and "continue to work with Indigenous partners and communities to walk the shared path of reconciliation."

In addition, Ottawa wants all MPs in the 44th legislature to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

"Canadians expect their elected representatives to lead by example in the fight against this virus," the statement said.

Trudeau called early elections in mid-August to try to regain an absolute majority in Parliament. After a recent recount of votes, he will have five more deputies than during his second term, against four announced after the election. 

That gives his Liberals 160 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons against 119 for the Conservative Party. In addition, there are 32 seats for the separatist Bloc Quebecois, 25 for the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), and two for the Green Party.