The day started with Trudeau officially resigning and issuing a goodbye note to Canadians on social media
The day started with Trudeau officially resigning and issuing a goodbye note to Canadians on social media
The day started with Trudeau officially resigning and issuing a goodbye note to Canadians on social media
OTTAWA — Former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney is now prime minister of Canada and has formed a leaner cabinet of 24 members, down from 37.
Carney was elected leader of the Liberal Party Sunday in Ottawa and has since tried to distance himself from his predecessor Justin Trudeau who held office for over nine years.
The new prime minister had to make something new out of something old by naming familiar faces to his first cabinet that will only last a couple of days with an election looming.
Only three new members have joined the cabinet, Arielle Kayabaga as Government House Leader, Kody Blois as agriculture minister and Ali Ehsassi as public services and procurement minister. Eleven women were named in cabinet, a woman short from the 50-50 gender parity that Canadians were used to under Trudeau.
“We are a very focused government, focused on action and we will work immediately,” Carney said at Rideau Hall. “Canada’s new government is focused on what matters to Canadians.”
He said his government would protect Canadian workers from President Trump’s tariffs and that he want to grow Canada’s economy by “putting more money in Canadians’ pockets”. Carney campaigned on “spend less and invest more” and wants to prioritize building more trade corridors with allies.
“The numbers in the cabinet are smaller because this is a moment of crisis… It is a smaller cabinet and all ministers are senior. They are all front line,” he said.
The prime minister has therefore maintained a certain stability during this ongoing trade war with the United States, sparking criticism from the Conservatives that Carney’s team is too similar to Trudeau’s and that the new leader has not delivered change.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Defence Minister Bill Blair aren’t going anywhere.
François-Philippe Champagne is now finance minister and will be replaced as industry minister by Anita Anand who was previously minister of transport.
Dominic LeBlanc is moving from finance to international trade and is still minister of intergovernmental affairs.
Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minister and finance minister who finished distant second in the leadership was appointed minister of transport.
Former Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is moving to culture and Canadian identity, Parks Canada and will also be Carney’s Quebec lieutenant. He previously held the heritage portfolio from 2019 to 2021. Terry Duguid is the new environment minister.
With Attorney General Arif Virani not reoffering in the next federal election, Mark Carney appointed Gary Anandasangaree minister of justice and Attorney General, but will also remain minister of crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs.
Eight former ministers, including Trudeau, have announced they will not be running in the upcoming federal election.
But Carney also dropped a couple of veteran ministers including former Immigration Minister Mark Miller, Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Government House Leader Karina Gould and Fisheries Minister Diane Leboutillier.
The new cabinet is meeting for the first time Friday afternoon. The Prime Minister will travel to London and Paris next week to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Carney has not yet spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Earlier Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed his president’s regular comments that Canada would benefit from becoming the 51st U.S. state. Rubio was in Charlevoix, Que, for a G7 foreign ministers meeting.
“It’s crazy,” Carney said at a press conference in response to Rubio’s remarks.
Carney also said with a smirk that Canadians would go to the polls “definitely before November.”
As for Trudeau, he officially resigned Friday morning during a private meeting with Governor General Mary Simon. He also recommended that she ask the new Liberal leader, Mark Carney, to form the new government.
Trudeau started the day with a goodbye note to Canadians on social media.
“Thank you, Canada — for trusting in me, for challenging me, and for granting me the privilege to serve the best country, and the best people, on Earth,” wrote Trudeau.
More to come.
National Post
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