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Although the news is likely to get lost in the flurry of coverage of a certain venture capitalist turned TV host’s long-rumoued and now official bid to win the Conservative leadership, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tapped retired lieutenant-general and first-time Liberal MP Andrew Leslie to serve as parliamentary secretary to newly installed Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

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According to a release issued Wednesday, Leslie, who is currently Chief Government Whip, won’t just be asked to take on the standard responsibilities that accompany a parliamentary secretary posting – duties that, in this case, have been handled by Pamela Goldsmith-Jones.

Leslie will also “assume special responsibilities for the Canada-U.S. relationship and play a critical role in building ties with the new U.S. administration.”

What, exactly, that might involve has not yet been outlined in detail, but in the backgrounder accompanying the announcement, Trudeau points to Leslie’s military career, as well as his “years of experience working with the U.S.”