Bob Rae has a new job after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced his predecessor will be the party’s new foreign affairs critic.

Son of former Canadian diplomat Saul Rae, Bob Rae has first hand experience of handling sensitive and complicated international files. In 2002 and 2003 he helped oversee constitutional discussions between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers. In 2005, he was appointed to advise the federal Liberal government on whether to hold an inquiry into the 1985 Air India disaster. In 1998, he was appointed to the Security and Intelligence Review Committee which oversees Canada’s security service CSIS.

Rae takes over from Dominic LeBlanc.

Former leadership rival Marc Garneau, an engineer and astronaut by profession, will become the Liberal Party’s new natural resources critic, replacing Kingston MP Ted Tsu. Tsu, a scientist, moves to become the party’s critic for post-secondary education.

“It’s a subject that is of great import for me,” Trudeau told reporters.

Vancouver Quadra MP Joyce Murray, who owns a tree-planting business, will continue as critic for Asia-Pacific affairs and small business.

Trudeau announced that he will remain the party’s critic for youth.

However, one Liberal MP whose future is up in the air is Transport Critic Denis Coderre, MP for the north-end Montreal riding of Bourassa. Coderre is rumored to be considering a run for mayor of Montreal.

Trudeau said he spoke with Coderre Wednesday and Coderre will eventually announce his plans.

Meanwhile, the Liberals confirmed that Cyrus Reporter, a lawyer and former aide to Liberal cabinet minister Allan Rock, will serve as Trudeau’s chief of staff.

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