Canada Transport Minister Alghabra Stepping Down
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra
Canada’s Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced July 25 via a Twitter post that, “after a lot of reflection,” he has decided not to run in the next election and will be stepping down from the cabinet.
“I was first elected in 2006 and have had the journey of a lifetime. I’m grateful for every minute of it,” wrote Alghabra, who has served as Transport Minister since 2021 after taking over from Marc Garneau, who held the position since 2015.
Since 2019, Alghabra, 53, served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Public Service Renewal) and to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. Prior to those roles, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre in 2015 and served as the Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Erindale from 2006-08. Alghabra also worked for General Electric Canada, Enbala Power and the Ontario Energy Board. He holds a Master of Business Administration and was a Distinguished Visiting Fellow with the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science at Ryerson University.
According to a CTV News report, Alghabra is one of four members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet who do not plan to run in the next election. This includes Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray; Public Services, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett, and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek, who has been involved, alongside Alghabra, in the expropriation of land parcels for Lac-Mégantic rail bypass construction project.
“In what’s set to be an hour-long ceremony at Rideau Hall on Wednesday—the first major shakeup of the cabinet since fall 2021—senior sources said to expect lots of moving pieces,” according to the CTV News report.
