2025 Canada Federal Election & PM Carney 14 March —

Carney selects former UN ambassador Marc-André Blanchard as chief of staff
(Globe & Mail) “Marc-André has a long and distinguished career as one of Canada’s most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats including serving as Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations,” Mr. Carney wrote.
A source said former justice minister David Lametti will take over as principal secretary, replacing Tom Pitfield, who helped run the Liberal election campaign and was filling in on an interim basis.
Mr. Blanchard, a prominent Quebec lawyer, is widely respected for his competence and level-headed judgment. He served as Canada’s ambassador to the UN from 2016 to 2020. He will replace former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino, who is interim chief of staff but plans to run for mayor of Toronto next year.
The Prime Minister said Mr. Mendicino will stay on until early summer “as we introduce crucial legislation to deliver on our mandate from Canadians and prepare to host global partners at the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis.”
The position of permanent chief of staff is one of the most important jobs in politics. A chief of staff provides stability, particularly for a government with a new leader and an ambitious agenda. The individual has great influence over ministers, caucus and the bureaucracy, as both a motivator and an enforcer of government policy.
The new government has been pushing to reposition Canada with a goal of diversifying trade, after an election campaign in which tension with the United States was a central issue.
Mr. Carney will meet provincial and territorial premiers Monday to discuss ways to fast-track the construction of housing and major nation-building projects.
Mr. Blanchard brings extensive experience on U.S. trade, as the government carries out high-level but secret negotiations with the Trump administration to lessen the impact of U.S. tariffs.

26 May
Top 10 most influential Liberals in Carney’s government
Gerald Butts and David Lametti hold no official roles in the Liberal government, but Prime Minister Mark Carney informally seeks their advice on key political matters, say Liberal sources.

17 May
What it means for a practising Catholic prime minister to attend the Pope’s inaugural mass
By Abigail Bimman
(CTV) Prime Minister Mark Carney’s faith as a practicing Catholic “played into his decision” to attend the new Pope’s inaugural mass, but the weekend trip is also a good opportunity to meet with other world leaders present, a senior government source told CTV News.
… “I think it positions Canada to be a leader in the area of trade, migration, the environment … clear issues that resonate with the Pope,” [Waterloo Chair of Religious Studies Scott] Kline believes the new Pope will end up playing a bigger role as a mediator in some of these issues, as well as in pursuing global peace.
He says Carney is well-positioned to work with the Pope “to really set an international agenda … given his previous experience, both in the U.K. and Canada, leading high-level, complex organizations and bringing people together.”
“He’s there both as Mark Carney and as the Prime Minister,” said Vatican expert and author Michael W. Higgins.
How much will Mark Carney’s Catholic faith inform the way he governs Canada?
Stephanie Levitz
(Globe & Mail) Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trip to the Vatican Sunday for the mass marking the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV is both a diplomatic overture and an event of personal significance.
Mr. Carney is Roman Catholic, and as he noted in a statement upon the election of Pope Leo, a new papacy is a major milestone for the faithful.
… Unlike politicians in the United States, where having no religious affiliation can render a political career a non-starter, Canadian politicians who are practising Catholics have long faced scrutiny over the balance between their faith and their work. ????

13-15 May
Can Canada’s Mark Carney make good on his promises? An early report card.
(GZERO North) … he appointed a “change” cabinet that— isn’t. After going from triumph to triumph, winning a leadership race, an election and successfully wrangling Trump, Carney was engaged in the drabber business of placating constituencies and slotting politicians into roles. For a candidate who promised a lot on the campaign trail, the result was underwhelming.
He made a show of cutting the size of his temporary cabinet before the election, but the new cabinet is the same size as Justin Trudeau’s, if you include 10 secretaries of state who are not full ministers.
By long tradition, Canadian cabinets are put together with a careful eye on regional and demographic balance, and Carney followed in that tradition rather than interpreting his election mandate as an opportunity to shake things up and come up with a team more focused on rapid action.
… Carney has not said what, aside from housing, he intends to build. That is likely because exactly what he can build will depend on proponents stepping forward with capital — and his ability to find willing partners in the provincial capitals and Indigenous governments. Trump’s threats have shaken public opinion, and created a new appetite for resource development, but getting them done depends on finding private sector proponents and willing partners in provincial capitals and Indigenous communities.
Mélanie Joly, Evan Solomon to run newly split Industry and Innovation portfolios in Prime Minister Carney’s cabinet
Evan Solomon takes on the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.
Solomon was a columnist and political journalist prior to his election, hosting CTV programs like Power Play and Question Period. Solomon will be responsible for seeing through Carney’s campaign promise of $2.5 billion for broadband and data centres, on top of existing Trudeau-era initiatives such as the $2-billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy.
Solomon was notably fired by CBC News in 2015 following a Toronto Star report that alleged he had facilitated secret art deals using his connections as a journalist. This included brokering the sale of paintings from art collector Bruce Bailey to then BlackBerry co-CEO Jim Balsillie and Mark Carney—now the prime minister and Solomon’s boss.
He played it safe’: The Hub reacts to Mark Carney’s underwhelming cabinet choices
By Theo Argitis, The Hub’s editor-at-large for business and economics
If you were hoping for a cabinet that screamed transformation, this wasn’t it.
Mark Carney had a chance to make a statement with his first cabinet and to show he was serious about real change. Instead, he played it safe and underwhelmed.
The cabinet he unveiled feels more balancing act than bold vision. It’s too large to project focus, and overprocessed—shaped more by regional and political considerations than a desire to harness fully the best talent in his caucus. As a result, it doesn’t come across as a team built with the purpose of delivering ambitious reform
… Swapping out Steven MacKinnon—one of the few centrists in the Trudeau cabinet with a real record of success on economic files—for Patty Hajdu as jobs minister is a downgrade. Maninder Sidhu at trade is at least familiar with the file, but not exactly a breakout star.
Excluding former Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitao from cabinet also seems like a missed opportunity.
Carney’s cabinet: a familiar mix of quotas, duplication and pork-barrel politics
Andrew Coyne
… Just days into government, the cabinet has already grown to near 30 members. Back are the comic-book portfolios – Minister of Artificial Intelligence! – to be discarded and replaced before long with newer, shinier labels.
Back, too, is the overlap and duplication. We have a Minister of One Canadian Economy and a Minister of Internal Trade; a Minister of International Trade and a Minister of Canada-U.S. Trade; a Minister of Indigenous Services and a Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations; a Minister of Defence and a Minister of Veterans’ Affairs; a Minister of Public Safety and a Minister of Emergency Management; and so on.
The pork-barrel portfolios are also back. As the economist William Watson has pointed out, while it is encouraging to have a minister given the job of making One Economy out of Canada’s constituent parts, 158 years after Confederation, it is somewhat at odds with the seven other ministers assigned the task of balkanizing it: steering subsidies to one part of the country or another, via the various “regional development” agencies. …
Carney’s cabinet meets for the first time as it stares down a pile of problems
Stalled EV projects, western alienation and Trump trade war looms large for new ministry
(CBC) The new ministry has three distinct challenges, among others, bubbling up on its watch: a U.S. trade war that’s already having an impact on Canada’s sluggish economy, persistent consumer affordability challenges and restlessness in Western Canada over the future of natural resources development.
To address cost-of-living concerns, Carney said cabinet’s first order of business is directing Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne to immediately draw up the legislation to pass what the government is calling a middle-class tax cut — a change that will save two-income families up to $825 a year.
“We’re acting on affordability as we look to build up this economy,” Carney said as he signed a “decision note” on the issue in front of the cameras in the cabinet room….
Champagne said the tax cut will be introduced soon after Parliament returns later this month, and other initiatives will be outlined in the forthcoming speech from the throne — but there will be no budget until the fall, he said.
Carney’s cabinet swearing-in featuring 24 new faces
Smaller, focused cabinet is Prime Minister Mark Carney’s second — but his first since being elected.
The 24 new names include Shafqat Ali, Jill McKnight, Tim Hodgson, Eleanor Olszewski, Mandy Gull-Masty, Joël Lightbound, Gregor Robertson, Evan Solomon, Wayne Long and Nathalie Provost.
Thirteen are newly elected MPs. There are 10 secretaries of state, nine of whom are new faces.
Carney’s first cabinet was composed of 24 ministers — 11 women and 13 men, including himself. Trudeau’s last cabinet had 39 when sworn in.
There will be a core group of senior ministers and a secondary group of more junior ministers, with smaller groups of staff and no new ministry created for them.
The Cabinet
Carney’s cabinet has 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state (people who have specific roles, but aren’t necessarily connected to a particular department).
Twenty-four are new ministers, and 13 of them are first-time MPs.
Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board
Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations
Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue
Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs; and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture; and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services
Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families; and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry; and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada; and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy
Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Steven MacKinnon, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health
Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience; and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure; and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade
Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation; and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality; and secretary of state (small business and tourism)
Secretaries of State:
Buckley Belanger, secretary of state (rural development)
Stephen Fuhr, secretary of state (defence procurement)
Anna Gainey, secretary of state (children and youth)
Wayne Long, secretary of state (Canada Revenue Agency and financial institutions)
Stephanie McLean, secretary of state (seniors)
Nathalie Provost, secretary of state (nature)
Ruby Sahota, secretary of state (combatting crime)
Randeep Sarai, secretary of state (international development)
Adam van Koeverden, secretary of state (sport)
John Zerucelli, secretary of state (labour)
Mark Carney’s new cabinet: A look at the ministers who are in and out
Here’s a look at who is new, who remained from previous iterations of Liberal governments and who is no longer in cabinet. (subscribers only)
Regional economic development portfolios return
Jayden Dill
Carney has brought back the seven regional development agencies that we saw in Trudeau’s last cabinet, plus that new title for LeBlanc.
Rebecca Chartrand (Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency)
Sean Fraser (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
Patty Hajdu (Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario)
Mélanie Joly (Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions)
Eleanor Olszewski (Prairies Economic Development Canada)
Gregor Robertson (Pacific Economic Development Canada)
Evan Solomon (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Dominic LeBlanc (One Canadian Economy)

A few months ago, Sean Fraser and Anita Anand were both planning to leave political life. Now they both have major new cabinet portfolios.
Anand, the new foreign affairs minister, and Fraser, the new justice minister, had both announced they would not run again as MPs. But they changed their minds with Carney’s arrival. (Anand during the Liberal leadership race and Fraser afterward.)
New names and new titles
Carney isn’t just putting his stamp on government by selecting his own crop of ministers, he’s also renamed some portfolios. It’s a sign of what his government’s priorities will be.
The joke in Ottawa is that Dominic LeBlanc is the “minister of everything.” That remains the case in Carney’s cabinet, where he will play a key role dealing with Trump and delivering Carney’s economic agenda.
His new title is president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, intergovernmental affairs and one Canadian economy.
Alberta’s Eleanor Olszewski is the new minister of emergency management and community resilience. [Olszewski is a lawyer, former Army reservist, and business owner who also holds degrees in pharmacy and law from the University of Alberta.]
Toronto MP Evan Solomon will have a new role: minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
From critical minerals to attacks on sovereignty, Canada’s Far North has never been more important. While defending the Arctic is a defence issue, it’s interesting that [Manitoba’s] Rebecca Chartrand has been made minister of Northern and Arctic affairs.

9 May
PM Mark Carney to unveil his new cabinet at Rideau Hall on Tuesday
(CTV) In a ceremony presided over by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, the newly elected prime minister will present to Canadians who he has picked to deliver on his series of campaign commitments, and lead on key files at a pivotal time for the nation.
Carney has promised to uphold gender parity with his new front bench, but whether he intends to expand it beyond his pre-election selection, remains to be seen.
The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. EDT inside the Rideau Hall ballroom, just a walk away from Carney’s new Rideau Cottage residence.

8 May
More details needed about Carney’s plans to revamp foreign service, union head says
(CTV) Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to invest in Canada’s foreign service, arguing that diplomacy is becoming increasingly important in a dangerous world.
A union official representing foreign service officers and a senator who once served Canada overseas say they’re optimistic about Carney’s plans but they want to see the details.
The Liberal election platform said a Carney government would send “more Canadian diplomats and officials abroad” to expand trade and “restore Canadian leadership.”
It also said the Liberals would issue a “new, full foreign policy” and launch a complementary national security review.

7 May
Mark Carney: The premiers and I spoke today. In the face of our immediate trade pressures, we’re focused on building strength at home.
That means launching big nation-building projects, removing internal trade barriers, and building one Canadian economy.
We agreed to meet in Saskatoon on June 2 to keep that work going — and keep building Canada strong.

6-9 May
Eric Ham: Mark Carney held a masterclass in how to deal with Donald Trump
(CTV) A steely resolve and a heart seemingly pumping nitrogen along with cold ice running through his veins, Canada’s prime minister stood on behalf of a nation as an equal beside the United States’ aspirational authoritarian. No longer just empty rhetoric or meaningless jargon, the campaign message that catapulted him to victory was more than just persuasive narratives but a blueprint; an exhortation; a doctrine. An embodiment of not just what Canadians wanted from their leader but a conjuring of an entire nation’s grit and dogma encapsulated and unleashed by their PM when facing down an existential threat.
Carney says Canada ‘not for sale’ while Trump pitches tax breaks
The president took a friendlier posture in person, but refused to budge on tariffs.
More on Canada-U.S.

5 May
How the new government will “fill out the org chart”
… Carney will “bring the full spectrum of new experience, fresh ideas into the government…The best talent that the whole country and the whole Liberal Party can bring to bear — Cabinet-wise, staff-wise, you name it.”
But also: “Some from the previous government who are willing to continue to put their hand up and offer their ideas.” Translation: Not everybody is damaged goods. A new team can use people who’ve been in the room before, can leverage key relationships — and, say, know where the printer is.
… Who’s next? Carney’s incumbent [Finance Minister] is well placed to remain.
François-Philippe Champagne recently represented the government in Washington at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings — and chaired a meeting of his G7 counterparts.
Canada is set to host G7 finance ministers on May 20 in Banff. Champagne is doing the spadework for that gathering — a crucial scene-setter for the G7 leaders’ summit in Kananaskis in mid-June. As Chantal Hébert has pointed out, it’s likely not a good idea for both the PM and his finance minister to be rookies in the House.
— Who stays? …Champagne and International Trade Minister Domenic LeBlanc are two familiar faces “well-positioned to play important, senior roles in the next Cabinet.”
Both are well-aligned with Carney’s economic focus.
Reasons to stick around: “Champagne is a consummate dealmaker…And we all know that LeBlanc is the ‘Mr. Fix It’ who can take any priority file and lead it competently. LeBlanc’s leadership on Can-U.S. will also remain critical, given the relationships he’s developed over the past five months.”
Ontario riding flips to Liberals after validation process
Ontario’s Milton East–Halton Hills South riding has flipped to the Liberals after a vote validation process.
Elections Canada’s validated results indicate that Liberal candidate Kristina Tesser Derksen received 32,130 votes, while Conservative candidate Parm Gill received 32,101 votes – a difference of 29 votes.
The Liberals’ minority government is now back up to 169 seats, while the Conservatives now count 143 seats.

1-2 May
Good Talk — What Now for Carney, For Poilievre, For Singh, For Canada?
How will Carney deal with Trump? Will Poilievre hang on to his job after losing his seat, the election, and perhaps even his house? What will happen to the NDP? Chantal Hebert and Rob Russo on this week’s Good Talk…
From Trump to Poilievre to the King, here’s what came out of Carney’s post-election news conference
Carney outlines his government’s priorities in 1st post-election news conference (video)
Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking in his first press conference since the Liberal election win, said he is focused on building Canada’s economy and plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump next week, adding that King Charles will be in Canada for the upcoming speech from the throne.
Prime Minster Mark Carney says he’s in politics to do ‘big things’ and announces King Charles will be delivering the throne speech.
‘An historic honour:’ King Charles will deliver Canada’s speech from the throne
Prime Minister Mark Carney called it an “historic honour” that “matches the weight of our times,” during a Friday news conference.
The royal visit “clearly underscores the sovereignty” of Canada, he added, referencing recent and enduring rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting Canada should become a state.

Conservative MP gives up seat for Pierre Poilievre to run in byelection
(CTV) A Conservative MP is giving up his seat to allow Pierre Poilievre to run in a byelection after Prime Minister Mark Carney said he’d be ready to call one “as soon as possible.”
On Friday, the Conservative Party announced Conservative MP-elect Damien Kurek will resign to allow Poilievre to run in an upcoming byelection.
Kurek was first elected in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot in 2019.
Conservative caucus will meet to select interim Opposition Leader amid concerns Liberals are trying to poach disgruntled MPs
(Globe & Mail) Front-runners for the job of Opposition Leader are former leader Andrew Scheer and deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman, according to a caucus source.
Mr. Poilievre did not win his seat in the April 28 election, so cannot be the party’s Opposition Leader in the House of Commons. However, he remains Conservative Party Leader.

Terrebonne riding flips from the Liberals back to the Bloc after validation process

30 April
What’s next for Canada’s newest minority government?
By Chris Knight
The Liberals fell three seats short of a majority. The Bloc has said they won’t bring down the government. Here’s what happens next
(National Post) … Akaash Maharaj, a senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, points out that Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet has already said he does not intend to bring down the current government “for at least a year.”
“That was a remarkable thing for him to say, because he played his hand and gave up any influence he might have to try to extract things from Carney,” said Maharaj. “But it does mean that Carney can, in all probability, govern as if he had a majority for the first year. After that, especially once there is a new leader for the NDP, and the provincial elections in Quebec start to put pressure on the Bloc Québécois, the dynamics will change.”
…the Conservatives, despite their 144 seats in the House of Commons, are in a somewhat weakened position as well.
“They are likely to find themselves without any dance partners in the political ballet of Parliament,” said Maharaj. “Having said that, I don’t think that they are powerless. More than 41 per cent of Canadians voted for them, and that suggests a significant hold on the public imagination. Conservatives will retain the power to influence public sentiment (and) to hold the government to account.”
He added: “One of the dynamics that I observed in this campaign is that, when the subjects of discussion in the public debate were issues like affordability, the housing crisis, the gap between rich and poor, whether people have hope for the future — all those issues favoured the Conservative Party. The Liberals stormed to victory because of the one issue that favoured them, and that is who is best placed to defend Canadian interests against the predatory government in the United States.
“That will remain a significant issue for the life of this Parliament, but all those other issues, the bread-and-butter issues, will continue to gnaw at Canadians. If Carney can answer them, then he will be in a tremendously strong position. But those are really difficult issues to deal with.”
Mark Carney to install new cabinet, recall Parliament early to cut taxes and open U.S. trade talks
Robert Fife
Mark Carney is expected to name a new cabinet within two weeks of his election victory and recall Parliament soon after.
… The cabinet will be no larger than 30 people, smaller than Mr. Trudeau’s 37, the official said. Mr. Carney unveiled a 24-member cabinet when he became Prime Minister on March 14.
Some of the potential new MPs the Prime Minister is expected to bring into cabinet are former Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitao, ex-Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, former Delta Chamber of Commerce executive director Jill McKnight in B.C., climate change activist Shannon Miedema in Halifax and gun control advocate Nathalie Provost in Quebec. The official said Mr. Carney is determined to have a gender-parity cabinet that also ensures regional representation.
No serious discussions have taken place about what cabinet role would be assigned to new MPs and whether senior ministers such as Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc would keep their current high-profile posts.

29 April
‘Stunning comeback’: Here’s how the international front pages covered the Canadian federal election
The Liberal party’s dramatic comeback win in the federal election made the front pages of news outlets outside the country Tuesday.
Mark Carney Swept Canada, but There Will be No Honeymoon
By Matina Stevis-Gridneff
The Canadian prime minister achieved a stunning political upset, running on an anti-Trump platform and promising to revive the economy. Now, he needs to deliver.
(NYT) The Canadian Parliament has not been in session since before Christmas, after Mr. Trudeau suspended its activities to be able to hold the Liberal leadership election that elevated Mr. Carney.
As a result, the country has been in a state of political instability for months with no ability to pursue a legislative agenda.
And Mr. Carney doesn’t yet have his own cabinet
Blanchet calls for collaboration between parties to face Trump
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet struck a collaborative tone Tuesday morning, urging parties to set aside their differences while Canada negotiates with U.S. President Donald Trump. During a news conference in Montreal, Blanchet said he’s ready to put the campaign behind him and called for a “partisan truce” with other parties for however long the trade negotiations take.
These Quebecers could play key roles in a Carney Liberal government
Liberal MPs François-Phiippe Champagne and Mélanie Joly were key campaign players in Quebec for Prime Minister Mark Carney
(Montreal Gazette) With a strong mandate from Quebecers and a sizable caucus from the province, Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to lean heavily on Quebec as he builds his cabinet and fills other parliamentary posts. He needs a strong team from Quebec, which was crucial to the Liberals’ hold on power despite the leader’s early missteps and controversial stances on Quebec’s language and secularism laws.
Carney will also aim to reassure Premier François Legault, who is expected to press hard for Quebec’s interests in trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
How the U.S. Lost the Canadian Election
Trump’s threats to annex Canada reversed its political trend—but they should not reverse its commitment to free trade.
By David Frum
Donald Trump pushed the Conservative Party of Canada down the political stairs. Yesterday, on Canada’s election day, he tossed a farewell bucket of slop after the tumbling Conservatives, with a final Truth Social post urging Canadians to see their choice as a verdict on him personally.

28 April
The Election That Asks Canada What Country It Wants to Be
Two leaders, one crisis, and a nation at a crossroads
(The Walrus) This wasn’t supposed to be an election about sovereignty or tariffs.
For the past year, Canadians have consistently told pollsters that their main concerns were housing, health care, and the Canadian economy. Young Canadians in particular, who have felt locked out of the future, warmed to Pierre Poilievre’s populist message that “Canada is Broken.” The Conservative leader’s message wasn’t just anti-establishment; it was a direct attack on institutional drift and a tired Liberal government that had failed to deliver on the promise that propelled Justin Trudeau to power in 2015.
Then, Donald Trump returned to the White House and re-framed the entire campaign

27 April
Liberals lead Conservatives by 3 points on eve of federal election: Nanos
As of Sunday night, a one day ballot tracking by Nanos Research conducted on April 27, has the Liberals at 43 per cent (42.6) over the Conservatives, who are at 40 per cent (39.9) nationally.

25 April

From taxes to housing, here’s what each major party is promising for your finances
(Globe & Mail) A guide to where the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, Bloc Québécois, Greens and People’s Party stand on pocketbook issues.
Canadian voters head to the polls for the federal election on Monday, and many are thinking about how their personal finances are being affected by affordability challenges in recent years and now a global trade war.
Here’s what you need to know about each party’s platform and where they stand on the issues that affect Canadians’ pocketbooks the most. -25 April

As the World Recoils, Canada Votes in the Shadow of a Rogue President
Jeremy Kinsman
(Policy) The Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer calls the current reality a G-0 world. If Xi Jinping wants it, it might become a G-2 world, followed by a whole new G-1 world. Meanwhile, the notion of a US-led G-7 is clearly kaput.
Trump has provided Canada and democracies in Europe with a wake-up call about their own future. They envisage like-minded consortia to concert and strengthen ties among themselves, to deepen cooperation — in world security, trade, and financial affairs – with the US, or without.
Mark Carney has received vivid and positive coverage in Europe for Canada’s exemplary defiance of our neighbour’s presumptive threats and designs. It encourages a great Canadian opportunity to build out our relationships from the current vulnerability of over-dependence.

24 April
Meeting his moment
If Mark Carney – the charming, meticulous, and sometimes prickly economist – lands the job of steering through a crisis, it wouldn’t be the first time
(Globe & Mail) “If there’s not a crisis, you wouldn’t be seeing me,” Mr. Carney said, in a shrewd political sales pitch costumed like a self-deprecating confession. “Honest. I am most useful in a crisis. I’m not that good at peacetime.”
Another way to make sense of his place in this wild political realignment is to recognize the mind at work beneath the banker’s haircut.
Mr. Carney is so strategic in his approach to the world that for years he’s been a dedicated runner and careful eater, in part because he believes he needs to be in good physical shape to work at a certain level, with long hours and punishing travel. He has to be truly wrung out to abandon that and lay into some French fries or a bag of Doritos.
Hurricane Trump is an untameable force, but sensing where the wind is blowing and planning meticulously is the way Mr. Carney functions.
“If this were an ordinary election with ordinary issues, he would never be able to distinguish himself,” Liberal powerbroker Frank McKenna says. “But this is not an ordinary election. There really is one issue and one issue only, and it’s around economic anxiety. …

23 April
What the Election Won’t Fix
Our political parties have forgotten how to make decisions
by Paul Wells
(The Walrus) For a decade, our political parties, our Parliament, our public service, and the other institutions of our democracy have been putting more and more energy into forgetting how to make decisions. Instead, they’re all in for message amplification. They’re so busy saying that they don’t hear—don’t, in fact, dare to hear because new information would only complicate lives they barely control. There’s a forced, hollow certainty to too much of our political discourse that barely masks timidity and confusion behind.
Our leaders are horrified at the prospect of being disagreed with, a phobia exemplified by the deepening moral cowardice of Pierre Poilievre in the face of the most routine journalistic inquiry. But I see Poilievre as an increasingly pathetic symptom of a widespread phobia, rather than as a particular instigator. After all, a prominent unperson, whose decade-long tenure as prime minister we are now asked to forget, spent last summer popping up unannounced, each time in the presence of a single reporter who was formally forbidden from asking him any questions.
Sorry, I just said something mean about your favourite leader, everyone. But that’s a big part of the problem. We’re building cults of personality around people with unremarkable personalities. In a polarized age, supporters of our hollow parties have been betting everything on a succession of unpersuasive leaders, and investing not nearly enough in the institutions that would help us navigate wild times, if we let them.

22 April
Record 7.3 million Canadians voted during advance polls: Elections Canada
That’s up from the 5.8 million who voted early in 2021
The non-partisan agency said based on its preliminary figures, that marks a 25 per cent increase from the 5.8 million electors who voted in advance during the 2021 federal election.

18 April
Dramatic rise in fake political content on social media as Canada prepares to vote
Report finds over a quarter of Canadians exposed to ‘more sophisticated and more politically polarizing’ fake content
(The Guardian) Canada’s federal election, on 28 April, is the first national vote in which Canadian news is not permitted to be shared on products owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. The ban, which began in August 2023, is a result of a standoff between the tech giant and Ottawa over the Online News Act that forced intermediaries such as Meta and Google’s parent company Alphabet to compensate journalism outlets for sharing their content. Meta described the legislation, Bill C-18 – passed on 18 June – as “unworkable” and argued that the only way to comply with the law is to “end news availability for people in Canada”.

16 April
Leaders square off over trade tensions, affordability concerns in French leaders’ debate
Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had their first direct public exchange of the election campaign Wednesday, debating who would best represent Canada as Prime Minister amid historic trade tensions with the United States and strong concern over the cost of living.
Public-opinion polls show an increasingly polarized political landscape in which a two-party race has emerged between the Liberals and the Conservatives, leaving the NDP and Bloc Québécois trailing their typical levels of support and at risk of losing a significant number of seats in the next Parliament.
In that context, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet both fought hard Wednesday to insert themselves into the conversation.

8 April
Carney’s Surge in Quebec Could Wipe the Sovereigntist Party Off the Map
Philippe J. Fournier
A Liberal comeback is rewriting the province’s political future, polls suggest
(The Walrus) The Bloc finds itself in an increasingly difficult position as voters appear to prioritize federal leadership on issues like US relations over Quebec-focused messaging. While the Angus Reid Institute gives the Liberals a seven-point lead in the province, all other pollsters give them a lead of eleven points or more

7 April
Chantal Hébert: Notes de campagne 3
Les premiers ministres provinciaux aiment Mark Carney. Qu’ils soient conservateurs, néo-démocrates ou québécois, l’idée d’un premier ministre fédéral libéral de son type leur plaît pour plusieurs raisons.
On assiste à ce concert d’approbation alors qu’en sourdine, le chef conservateur Pierre Poilievre fait des pieds et des mains pour s’installer, dès le mois prochain, dans la chaise de premier ministre fédéral et que le néo-démocrate Jagmeet Singh tente désespérément de se faire valoir.
Quelques raisons expliquent la dissonance actuelle entre la cordialité des premiers ministres non libéraux à l’égard de M. Carney et l’intérêt électoral de leurs cousins fédéraux respectifs.
D’abord, une proportion écrasante de Canadiens — toutes affiliations politiques confondues — souhaitent activement que leurs leaders se serrent les coudes pour faire face à l’adversité tarifaire
Ensuite, ce ne sont pas tous les premiers ministres — même conservateurs — qui rêvent d’un gouvernement fédéral dirigé par Pierre Poilievre.
… Cette avance donne à ses homologues des provinces de bonnes raisons de croire qu’ils vont devoir traiter avec un gouvernement fédéral libéral et possiblement majoritaire après le 28 avril. Dans les circonstances, personne n’a intérêt à se mettre à dos un premier ministre canadien dont le règne pourrait s’étendre au-delà de la fin du deuxième mandat Trump.

5 April
Federal leaders pledge family doctors, red tape cuts, skilled trades support
Liberal Leader Mark Carney announced a new apprenticeship grant Saturday he says will help boost Canada’s skilled trades workforce and increase labour mobility between provinces and territories -in an effort to “build one Canadian economy”
(Canadian Press) Party leaders are making announcements across the country on Day 14 of the federal election campaign, pledging to tackle the shortage of family doctors, support skilled trades, and cut government red tape.
In Oakville, Ont., Liberal Leader Mark Carney announced a plan he says will help boost Canada’s skilled trades workforce.
Without taking action, Canada will see a shortfall of tens of thousands of skilled workers, Carney said. He pledged a new apprenticeship grant, increased access to union-led training initiatives and a new $20 million capital funding stream for colleges to support new training spaces for apprenticeships.
The Liberal plan would also increase labour mobility between provinces and territories, in an effort to “build one Canadian economy” — a reference to removing interprovincial trade barriers that have become increasingly a topic of concern since U.S. President Donald Trump was elected.
Carney’s announcement follows a week of him signalling to Canadians he is serious about bolstering the economy in the face of threats from the White House, spending much of his week in factories and training schools.
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in Atlantic Canada, where he promised to ensure all Canadians have access to a family doctor by 2030.
Singh made his announcement in St. John’s earlier in the day, promising an NDP government would offer an additional one per cent in Canada Health Transfer funding to provinces that guarantee access to a family doctor.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is in B.C., where he is expected to promise to cut bureaucratic red tape by 25 per cent in two years. The plan for what he calls a “two-for-one” law would mandate two regulations be repealed for every new one that is brought in.

31 March
Carney Vows to Revive Canada’s Wartime-Era Homebuilding Strategy
(Bloomberg) Liberal Leader Mark Carney promises to create a new entity called “Build Canada Homes” to build affordable housing, including on public lands, and provide financing to prefabricated-home builders.
The plan aims to catalyze private capital, cut red tape, and reintroduce a tax incentive to spur rental home construction, as well as facilitate the conversion of existing structures into affordable housing.
Carney’s government would maintain and build upon the housing accelerator fund, and cancel the federal sales tax on homes under C$1 million for first-time homebuyers.

28 March
Mark Carney promises plan to ‘reform’ the CBC in coming days
(National Post) Liberal Leader Mark Carney has promised to introduce a reform plan for CBC/Radio-Canada to ensure its viability and vibrancy, though he did not provide specific details. He emphasized that his approach would differ from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s plan to defund the CBC while maintaining Radio-Canada, calling Poilievre’s idea unrealistic. Carney believes that Radio-Canada can only survive as part of a viable CBC. His reform plan, initially expected to be announced in Quebec City, was postponed in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement. Carney’s comments follow Poilievre’s promise to protect French-language services at Radio-Canada while defunding the CBC, and the potential inspiration for Carney’s reforms may stem from a proposal by former Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge to overhaul CBC’s funding and governance.

25 March
Mark Carney promises new submarines, more icebreakers, pay-raises for Armed Forces
(Globe & Mail) Liberal Leader Mark Carney pledged to buy new submarines, fleets of drones and more heavy-duty icebreakers while hiking pay for Canadian Armed Forces personnel as part of a commitment to raise defence spending.
“We will deliver an unprecedented acceleration of investment in our armed Forces so that we can defend every inch of our sovereign territory, while also helping to support and defend our allies abroad,” Mr. Carney said during a campaign stop in Halifax at Irving shipyard Tuesday.
Carney welcomes former minister Sean Fraser’s return to federal politics
Former housing minister Sean Fraser confirmed Tuesday that he will be running for re-election in his Nova Scotia riding after all.
His decision comes about three months after he told Canadians he wouldn’t be running again to spend more time with his family. … Fraser said Carney had promised to help find a better balance to be an MP and a father. “Honestly, it’s high time that we make these jobs sincerely family-friendly and I trust him to do it,” Fraser said.
Carney said he “regretted but respected” Fraser’s decision in December to leave federal politics for family reasons but that he now joins other “exceptional people stepping up for the Liberal party at the country’s time of need.”
Fraser is at least the fifth Liberal MP who planned to step aside as the party’s poll numbers continued to plummet, but who have now changed their mind.
Mark Carney, progressiste-conservateur
Le nouveau chef libéral ressemble plus à un progressiste-conservateur qu’à un libéral. Et ça fait mal tant aux conservateurs qu’aux progressistes du NPD, explique notre collaborateur

Liberal Leader Mark Carney has called an April 28th federal election in Canada — and in the face of Donald Trump’s continuing threats to make Canada a 51st American state, the world is watching.

23 March
Mark Carney calls 5-week federal election with vote on April 28
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has confirmed a federal election will be called on April 28, after requesting Parliament be dissolved at Rideau Hall.
Carney announced Saturday he will be seeking a seat as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons to represent the Ottawa riding of Nepean.
Carney acknowledges protesting N.L. fish harvesters during 1st campaign stop
Heavy police presence as protesters continue to block lobby of St. John’s Convention Centre
Liberal Leader Mark Carney kicked off his election campaign in St. John’s on Sunday, promising tax cuts and also addressing the hundreds of protesting fish harvesters outside the city’s convention centre.
During his speech, Carney acknowledged the protesting harvesters, and said he is there to listen. He said his government will take a closer look at the department of Fisheries and Oceans, with the goal of creating a sustainable fishery and potentially restructuring the department.
“I understand the importance of making decisions closer to the wharf,” said Carney. “We’re all here for sustainable fishery and sustainable livelihoods, and we’re going to make sure that happens.”

Can Mark Carney truly connect with Canadian voters? Canada will now find out
Kevin Quigley, Scholarly Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance at Dalhousie University
… With such a high level of economic uncertainty today in the face of repeated threats from United States President Donald Trump, his supporters say he’s the right person to lead Canada. His chief rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, was first elected to the House of Commons at the age of 25 and has quite a different CV.
… Carney, however, might struggle more with the other characteristics of trustworthiness — seeming open and showing concern
… On the surface, this is about transparency, but in fact it’s just as much about empathy and whether Carney can relate to working-class voters. By alluding to Carney’s wealth and connections, the Conservatives are implying that Carney is an out-of-touch elite who doesn’t share the concerns of average Canadians.
… The fact that Carney dropped the carbon tax and capital gains tax was an early sign that he’s not an economist anymore, he’s a politician.
The challenge for Carney — and for any politician in the heat of an election campaign battle — will be to find the sweet spot that reconciles expert opinion with public concerns and to articulate policies in a manner that voters will understand and support.
… The King met with Trudeau at Sandringham, the royal family’s private estate in Norfolk, England, on March 3. This meeting seems to have prompted a series of symbolic gestures demonstrating the monarchy’s solidarity with Canadians.
Trump threats: Is foreign policy the biggest issue for Canadian voters this election?
Adam Chapnick of the Royal Military College of Canada explores whether Trump and Canadian foreign policy will dominate the campaign
Foreign policy is what people who study elections call an “issue,” just like the economy, national security or health care.
This election will offer voters competing visions of Canada’s future at a time when it has become all but impossible to separate foreign policy from domestic politics.
There’s no question much of the conversation during the campaign will centre on how the next government will deal with United States President Donald Trump amid his continuing threats to Canadian sovereignty.
But even though the Trump administration has undermined the liberal democratic world order in which Canada has prospered for close to a century, it’s unclear whether threats of a global tariff war, an ongoing divisive conflict in the Middle East and continued Russian aggression in Ukraine will directly affect how Canadians cast their votes.
My new report, “Foreign Policy and Canadian Elections: A Review,” finds truth on both sides.
Andrew Heffernan of the University of Ottawa looks into the climate policies of the federal parties and whether their climate action initiatives will play a role in how voters cast their ballots.
How political leaders communicate climate policy should be a defining factor this election
The current iteration of Canada’s consumer carbon rebate is dead — which many view as a casualty of effective communication — yet climate policy remains a pressing topic for voters and a major battleground for political leaders.
For Carney and the Liberal Party, the challenge is twofold. First, the Liberals must present a new climate plan after the collapse of the consumer carbon rebate, which has faced widespread public opposition in recent years.
While the new Liberal leader has already terminated the the carbon rebate, it still remains unclear what exactly his comprehensive climate plan will look like.
Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue; it’s increasingly seen as a matter of economic survival, with green energy jobs and clean technologies representing an opportunity for Canada to position itself as a global leader in the sector.
Carney will have to make a convincing case that his policy will create jobs, stimulate innovation and provide a clear path toward a greener, more sustainable economy.

21 March
Carney aims to have ‘free trade by Canada Day’ between provinces and territories
Canada to develop national trade strategy, PM says.
Carney says he’ll keep carbon emissions cap.
Ottawa to set up ‘one project, one review’ system to speed approval of major projects.
Government will temporarily remove one-week waiting period for employment insurance.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he and Canada’s premiers have agreed to develop a national trade strategy and promised a slew of support for workers and businesses.
“We intend from a federal level to have free trade by Canada Day,” he said, noting that the plan would be directed at easing transportation, energy, critical minerals and digital connectivity restrictions across the country.

20 March
Evan Solomon to run for Liberals
Evan Solomon announced on Thursday that he will be returning to Canada and running for Mark Carney’s Liberals. A former Canadian broadcaster, he has been GZERO’s publisher since 2022.
“Given the urgent challenges and threats facing Canadians right now, I’ve decided it’s the right time to come home and do whatever I can to help serve my community and country,” Solomon said in a LinkedIn post. “I will be joining the team led by Prime Minister Mark Carney and will be running as a candidate in the next Federal election.
Former minister Carlos Leitão to run for the Liberal Party of Canada … According to the same source, Leitão is due to run in the Laval riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin. This riding is currently represented by Liberal Yves Robillard.
Scott Gilmore shares a quick update. Last month, I stepped away from Anchor Chain and joined Mark Carney’s transition team. Now that he is sworn in as Canada’s 24th Prime Minister I have agreed to remain in his office, at least during the initial period, as the PM’s Senior Advisor on Foreign, Defence, and Security Policy.

18 March
Carney announces plans to boost Canada’s military footprint in the Arctic
(CTV) Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Ottawa will expand the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence in the Arctic and turn to Australia’s over-the-horizon radar tech to monitor threats from adversaries such as China and Russia.
Carney also pledged $253 million in new funding for Indigenous reconciliation initiatives in the North.
They include $94 million to upgrade power plants in Nunavut and $20 million for a hydroelectricity project to help move northerners off diesel.
Carney spoke with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Tuesday morning about a new partnership on a long-range over-the-horizon radar system.
Carney ‘gets it,’ Obed says after meeting with new PM
Inuit leaders optimistic about future of Indigenous-Crown relationship after prime minister visits Iqaluit

17 March
Carney visits Macron and Starmer as he seeks alliances amid Trump trade war
Canadian PM stresses importance of ‘reliable allies’ in Paris before travelling to London where he was received by king
Without mentioning the US president by name, Carney and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, made a joint appearance in Paris to show a united stance against what they said were economic and geopolitical crises – a reference to Trump’s trade war and “America first” diplomacy that has left longtime allies scrambling.
Carney, who turned 60 on Sunday, travelled later on Monday to London where he was received at Buckingham Palace by King Charles, Canada’s head of state. After a 30-minute private conversation with the king, he was greeted warmly by Keir Starmer on the doorstep of No 10.
The UK prime minister said: “The relationship between our two countries has always been strong. Two sovereign allies, so much in common – a shared history, shared values, shared king.”

How Mark Carney’s choice of finance minister shows he wants to shake things up
…perhaps the most telling of Mr. Carney’s attempts to speed up the way things work in Ottawa – and potentially the most consequential, if he gets a chance to actually govern after the election he is about to call – is his choice of Finance Minister.
François-Philippe Champagne is not necessarily the person to put in that job for deep soul-searching about the future of the Canadian economy, amid a trade war with the United States and a crumbling … There will only be so much elbow room for any finance minister, serving under someone who was one of the world’s best-known bank governors. What Mr. Champagne instead brings to the table is an unusually energetic and transactional management style that, unlike many of the colleagues who served alongside him in Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet.

15 March
Carney expected to meet King Charles during his first trip abroad as prime minister
PM will also meet with the French president in Paris, Nunavut premier in Iqaluit
The PMO said the trip is meant “to strengthen two of our closest and longest-standing economic and security partnerships, and to reaffirm Canada’s Arctic security and sovereignty.”

14 March
Carney kills consumer carbon tax in first move as prime minister
Canadians will still receive a final rebate in April, Carney says

Carney’s first day: Prime Minister focuses on workers and economy in first speech, promises updates on carbon pricing
Key moments:
His new cabinet will prioritize protecting workers from U.S. tariffs and investing more in housing and the economy, Carney said in his first speech as PM
No date yet set for the federal election, and news on carbon pricing will come today
Cabinet Swearing-in: PM Carney Holds News Conference – March 14, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with reporters at Rideau Hall after he and his cabinet are sworn in in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. (CPAC video)

Mark Carney is officially Canada’s new prime minister

Mark Carney has been sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister, while unveiling the smallest federal cabinet and ministry in years.
(Global news) Gov. Gen. Mary Simon presided over the ceremony, which also saw Carney reveal 23 cabinet ministers – a much smaller group than Trudeau’s cabinet, which had 39 members, including him.
Carney’s cabinet comprises of 13 men and 11 women.
Some current ministers primarily dealing with the United States will keep their roles. These include Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
The new cabinet has 23 ministers, plus the PM, and includes most of Justin Trudeau’s former senior cabinet members
Dominic LeBlanc will remain as minister of intergovernmental affairs and also becomes minister of international trade, while his finance portfolio goes to Francois-Philippe Champagne, who is the new finance minister.
Anita Anand – minister of innovation, science and industry
Gary Anandasangaree – minister of Crown-Indigenous and northern affairs, minister of justice and attorney general of Canada
Rachel Bendayan – minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship
Bill Blair – minister of national defence
Kody Blois – minister of agriculture and agri-food and rural economic development
Élisabeth Brière – minister of veteran affairs and minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency
Francois-Philippe Champagne – minister of finance
Terry Duguid – minister of environment and climate change
Ali Ehsassi – minister of government transformation, public services and procurement
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith – minister of housing, infrastructure and communities
Chrystia Freeland – minister of transport and internal trade
Steven Guilbeault – minister of Canadian culture and identity, Parks Canada and Quebec lieutenant
Patty Hajdu – minister of Indigenous services
Arielle Kayabaga – government House leader and minister of democratic institutions
Kamal Khera – minister of health
Dominic LeBlanc – minister of international trade and intergovernmental affairs and president of the King’s Privy Council of Canada
Steven MacKinnon – minister of jobs and families
David McGuinty – minister of public safety and emergency preparedness
Ginette Petitpas-Taylor – president of the Treasury Board
Joanne Thompson – minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Rechie Valdez – chief government whip
Jonathan Wilkinson – minister of energy and natural resources
Several high-profile names are out of the cabinet, such as Mark Holland, who was previously the health minister and announced on Thursday he will not run again for election, Jean-Yves Duclos, who served as the public services and procurement minister under Trudeau’s government.

In addition to his cabinet, Mr. Carney is putting in place the staff who will surround him in the Prime Minister’s Office. His chief of staff is former Liberal MP and cabinet minister Marco Mendicino; assisting him is Cyndi Jenkins, who has served as a chief of staff to several Liberal cabinet ministers. Marjorie Michel, Mr. Trudeau’s former deputy chief of staff who left to join the party’s election campaign team, will return to the PMO for a short period to assist and will then run for election as an MP in Mr. Trudeau’s riding of Papineau.
Other key players are Jane Deeks as the director of communications, Kevin Lemkay as director of parliamentary affairs and issues, Angad Dhillon as director of operations and Tim Krupa handling policy.