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Prime Minister Stephen Harper, just months before the next election, has opted for political safety as he remakes his cabinet.

On Monday, he shuffled three ministers he can trust to closely follow the party line in major portfolios: Rob Nicholson to Foreign Affairs, Jason Kenney to Defence, and Pierre Poilievre, who represents Nepean-Carleton, to Employment.

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The changes were necessary because of last week’s unexpected and abrupt resignation of John Baird as Foreign Affairs minister.

Suddenly, Harper was faced with a politically tricky task he had not counted on in this election year: deciding whether to put a fresh face on his government, or stick with steady hands.

He chose the latter approach, and it was cautiously announced through a highly controlled manner: A news release was issued and journalists were not invited to Rideau Hall to take photos or ask questions of the ministers after they were sworn in to their new jobs.