Pual Lefebvre  Marc Serre

By Stew Kernan

Thirty cabinet ministers, half of them female and 19 of them rookie M-Ps, joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Rideau Hall for today’s swearing-in ceremony.

This is the first gender-balanced cabinet in Canadian history.

Sudbury’s newly elected Liberal M-P Paul Lefebvre likes what he sees.

Both Lefebvre and Nickel Belt’s new M-P Marc Serre will attend their first Liberal caucus meeting Thursday.

Some rookie M-Ps have landed top ministerial positions, with millionaire Toronto businessman Bill Morneau named finance minister and Jody Wilson-Raybould taking over the portfolios of justice and attorney general.

Trudeau has put some veteran M-Ps in key roles — tapping Stephane Dion as his foreign affairs minister and Ralph Goodale to serve as the new public safety minister.