New year, new ministers. The federal government shuffled its cabinet this week, bringing in three new faces and kicking out some of the old. One of the notable newcomers is first-time MP Karina Gould. Gould will be taking over the electoral reform file in place of Maryam Monsef, who was moved to the status of women portfolio. Stéphane Dion will be exiting both the cabinet and politics overall, leaving his foreign affairs role to Chrystia Freeland. To many CBC commenters, there just isn't enough experience left in the new cabinet.

Zero background

What does a government already short of experience need? Three more people with hardly background in their respective appointments.

- Chuck Morrison

Artificial quotas

You cannot craft the makeup of your government to suit a foreign power, but you should craft it from the best people available. Artificial, feel-good quotas for cabinet makeup do not help us.

- Phil K'Mee

Pass the puck

Hockey parallel analogy:

Every good coach has the option of shuffling his lines when they face a different team. Justin Trudeau's shuffle was a needed and well-executed line change. Donald Trump can't skate around anything to save his life. I think we will fare better than the Juniors did in Montreal.

- Pierre Dupuis

Pushing the PMO plans

Replacing the rookie Monsef with another, even younger rookie to look after reforming our entire electoral system would only happen under the Liberal big top. They don't listen to committee and will ram through the PMO's plans anyway.

- John Henry

Appoint on merit

When choosing a cabinet minister, experience and aptitude seem to be secondary considerations, after race, gender and religious beliefs. This is shameful.

- Eric Earls

Working with the opposition

Shuffling is a normal event within politics. The elected members of all parties are shuffled throughout each term. New faces, new motivations. It could mean that the CPC will become a willing partner instead of politicking everything, every time.

- David Conway

Watch out for the iceberg

Just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Unless they get a bunch of ministers who will defy Trudeau and demand a return to a fiscally conservative government — as with Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin — it will be more debt and more wasted money.

- Bobby Taylor

The astronaut is too grounded

The person I feel sorry for the most is Marc Garneau. He has had a stellar career, including many years as a politician, and I don't think there is one thing to dislike about this man. And all he gets is the transport file. Maybe he likes the job, who knows? But he should be in a top role.

- Darren MacDonald

Still trumped

Trump is going to eat Trudeau and his ministers alive. It will be Donald's way, or the highway. Trump won't hamstring American industry with a carbon tax like Trudeau has done to Canadian industry. We won't be able to compete. Sunny ways people. Sunny ways.

- Bob Loblaw

Wait and see

Why oh why would they give Freeland a promotion? And why keep Monsef in cabinet at all — to save face, I suppose? But, I'm very happy to see John McCallum out; it shows the Liberals are listening that Canadians were not happy with the excessive immigration levels. And poor Dion: supporting Trudeau did not get him a starring role for very long. These three should at least be improvements. Let's see how they perform.

- Gordon Raymond

The more things change...

New faces but the same old crowd.

- James Frank

Take the high road

I think it is important that the conservative right not respond as the liberal left, on both sides of the border, has done with Trump. The right has to take the cue from the left (even though the left has failed to follow its own advice) and take the high road. Give these people the opportunity to succeed or fail on their own performances, not their party politics or your like or dislike of the leader. Maybe they will outperform their leader and do a really good job for Canada.

- Greg Proctor