Friday March 14, 2025 | NATIONAL NEWS [Posted from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has now been sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister. That has taken place this morning at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
Prime Minister Carney has chosen a small compact ‘Canadian ministry’ cabinet of 24 ministers, to deal with the immediate issues of economic warfare with the United States.
The conventional lingo is that this is a ‘war cabinet’ for this cabinet that will need to focus on Canada’s economic stability and resilience and more broadly national security and sovereignty.
Carney is the 24th prime minister. This is Canada’s 30th cabinet ministry comprised of 24 ministers including himself.
A federal election is soon in the offing, expected to be called by Carney in the next few days.
Cabinet profile:
Overall, the Carney cabinet erases most traces of the Justin Trudeau approach to governance, instead focusing more on economics and short term strategies.
Gone from cabinet is former Health Minister Mark Holland who says he is not seeking re-election. Demoted within cabinet is Chrystia Freeland who is now Transportation minister.
Karina Gould who Carney mentioned in his pre-acceptance remarks during the leadership convention on March 9 is not in cabinet
In the March 9 leadership results Carney won with 85.9% of the vote, while Freeland had only 8%, and Gould just 3.2%, with 3.0% for Frank Baylis behind that. Baylis is not in cabinet.
LeBlanc, Joly and Champange have made significant efforts on the Canada-USA tariff file. Carney is no stranger to doing business in the United States.
- Staying in cabinet in much the same role is Dominic LeBlanc in Intergovernmental Affairs (now expanded as International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs).
- Continuing as Foreign Affairs Minister is Melanie Joly (who just two days ago was hosting G7 foreign ministers here in Canada).
- Francois-Philippe Champagne is now as Minister of Finance, shifting from Innovation, Science and Industry.
Steven Gilbeault whose heart had been in the environment and climate change file for years under Trudeau is now Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant which seems like a good fit. His connections in Quebec will be needed. He was seated in the front row at the ceremony.
Other cabinet notes:
Former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is now Minister of Transport and Internal Trade at a time when trade diversification across Canada is key to economic resilience.
Carney has brought a few lesser-known MPs into cabinet for their first time, perhaps just a short time, as this cabinet won’t last long, as an election is expected to be called in a matter of days.
Nate Erskine-Smith who finally made it to cabinet in the last months of the Trudeau era, has been retained in the Carney cabinet now as Minister of a key economic file: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Carney has created a new ministry of Jobs and Families (a modernization of the former Labour Ministry) headed by Steven MacKinnon (previous Minister of Labour), and has added Emergency Preparedness to the Public Safety ministry title (that ministry expanded under David McGuinty.
Jonathan Wilkinson is the only BC MP in cabinet, continuing in a file where he has delivered strong work: Energy and Natural Resources.
Cabinet list:
The full Carney Cabinet list is published on the Prime Minister’s website.
- Dominic LeBlanc – International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Mélanie Joly – Foreign Affairs and International Development (unable to attend in Ottawa today)
- Francois-Philippe Champagne – Finance
- Anita Anand – Innovation, Science and Industry
- Bill Blair – National Defence
- Patty Hajdu – Indigenous Services
- Jonathan Wilkinson – Energy and Natural Resources
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor – President of the Treasury Board
- Steven Gilbeault – Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant
- Chrystia Freeland – Transport and Internal Trade
- Kamal Khera – Health
- Gary Anandasangaree – Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
- Rechie Valdez – Chief Government Whip
- Steven MacKinnon – Jobs and Families
- David McGuinty – Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- Terry Duguid – Environment and Climate Change
- Nate Erskine-Smith – Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Rachel Bendayan – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
- Élisabeth Brière – Veterans Affairs and Minister Responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency
- Joanne Thompson – Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
- Arielle Kayabaga – Minister of Democratic Institutions and Government House Leader
- Kody Blois – Agriculture and Agrifood and Rural Economic Development
- Ali Ehsassi – Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: TARIFFS & TRADE | BUSINESS & ECONOMY | CANADA-NATIONAL | CANADA-USA | 2025 CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION