OTTAWA, Ont. — Immediately after being sworn in as Canada’s new Prime Minister, Paul Martin announced some major changes to Cabinet, including a new transport minister.

David Collenette lost his portfolio as Minister of Transportation. Now, that position has been given to Tony Valeri.

Martin addressed the Cabinet overhaul in a statement.

“As prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to rally Canadians toward a new sense of national purpose and around a new agenda of change and achievement," he said. "We are going to change the way things work in Ottawa in order to re-engage Canadians in the political process and achieve demonstrable progress on our priorities.”

Valeri is the Liberal MP from Stoney Creek, Ont. He was first elected into Parliament in 1993 and was appointed the chairman of the National Caucus Economic Development Committee in 1999 by former Prime Minister, Jean Chretien. He has also served as chairman of the non-partisan Parliamentary Steel Caucus.

Valeri has also served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance in 1997 and has been part of five standing committees: Finance, Liaison, Industry, Environment and Sustainable Development. He has also chaired the Liberal Caucus Task Force on Jobs and Small Business.

He has a wife, Terri and two children and resides in Stoney Creek, just outside Hamilton, Ont.