Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is going back to a familiar face to take on the Agriculture portfolio.

Lawrence MacAulay is back as Federal Ag Minister, replacing Marie-Claude Bibeau.

MacAulay, who was once the Agriculture Minister until 2019 when Bibeau took his place, was previously the Minister of Veterans Affairs; Bibeau has been shuffled over to the National Revenue file.

While it isn’t anyone brand new, the change is still surprising to some, including Vice-President of the Canadian Cattle Association Tyler Fulton.

He thanked Bibeau for her time on the file.

“We always felt heard and I feel like we really advanced the profile of the cattle industry across Canada with her as Minister, so really had a great working relationship with her all-around and appreciate the work she has done and hope that she does well in the new portfolio.” Fulton said.

Fulton is looking forward to working with MacAulay.

“We’re thrilled that we got such an experienced hand moving into that role. While every MP comes from their own jurisdiction, there’s a handful that do have a handle of Canadian agriculture that’s as diverse as the geography is, so I have full confidence that (MacAulay) will take that portfolio and run with it on day one because he has that experience that he can draw on.”

The change of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada was part of a large overhaul of the Federal Cabinet, made official this morning (Wed) in Ottawa.