Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has added eight Liberal MPs to his front bench and reassigned four ministers in a cabinet shuffle in Ottawa today. St. John’s East Member of Parliament Joanne Thompson is taking on the minister of seniors role, which was handed off after Seamus O’Regan left cabinet.

Thompson was first elected in 2021 to represent St. John’s East.

The move comes on the same day that the member of parliament for Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, Churence Rogers, announced that he will not be on the ballot for the next federal election. In a news release made earlier today, Rogers said that he has made the bittersweet decision to retire, and spend more time with family.