Canada has a new prime minister. Liberal Leader Mark Carney has just sworn the oaths of office and allegiance and is in the midst of presenting his new pared-down cabinet to the Governor General.
Arriving at Rideau Hall to officially become Canada’s 24th prime minister, Carney pledged to get “straight to work.”
“Our message? We’re a very focused government, focused on action. We’re going to get straight to work,” he told reporters on his way in to his history-making swearing-in ceremony.
Carney arrived on his own, walking in to the Governor General’s residence from the side, rather than opting for the walkway stroll that Trudeau ironicized with his grand 2015 coming-to-power.
After nearly a decade leading the country– marked by highs and lows, policy gains and broken promises – Justin Trudeau made the resignation he first announced in January official in a private meeting with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at Rideau Hall on Friday morning.
“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,” Trudeau said in a post on social media.
The three words Carney’s team is circulating Friday morning are: “change, focus, action.”
One immediate change that Carney has moved away from is Trudeau’s prioritization of regional representation and gender balance on his front bench, something a senior source said is on account of there being fewer people in cabinet.
“This new, leaner, focused Cabinet includes returning ministers, seasoned leaders, and new voices who will bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the team as it delivers on the things that matter most to Canadians, such as strengthening Canada’s economy and security,” said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.
Who is in, who is out?
With the ceremony making all of these appointments official still underway, CTV News can report that Carney’s 23-person cabinet includes 12 men and 11 women, and there are no ministers from Alberta or P.E.I.
The overall size is down considerably from Trudeau’s last 36-person cabinet, but does include a trio of rookies. Several ministers have lost their cabinet posts, most of whom had said they wouldn’t be running again.
Notably, his main Liberal leadership rival is back in the fold, while third-place finisher Karina Gould is not. Here is the full list of who is in what’s largely being viewed as Carney’s pre-election cabinet:
• International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister and President of the King’s Privy Council Dominic LeBlanc
• Foreign Affairs and International Development Minister Mélanie Joly
• Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne
• Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Anita Anand
• Defence Minister Bill Blair
• Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu
• Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson
• Treasury Board President Ginette Petitpas Taylor
• Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada Minister and Quebec Lieutenant Steven Guilbeault
• Transport and Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland
• Health Minister Kamal Khera
• Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree
• Chief Government Whip Rechie Valdez
• Jobs and Families Minister Steven MacKinnon
• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness David McGuinty
• Environment and Climate Change Minister Terry Duguid
• Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Nate Erskine-Smith
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Rachel Bendayan
• Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency Elisabeth Briere
• Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Minister Joanne Thompson
• Government House Leader and Democratic Institutions Minister Arielle Kayabaga
• Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development Minister Kody Blois
• Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement Minister Ali Ehsassi
Gould, reacting to her apparent cabinet snubbing – she stepped down as government House leader to run for Trudeau’s old job – said she remains committed to supporting the government in the months ahead, and still plans to run again.
“My sincere congratulations to my colleagues who were sworn in to cabinet today,” Gould said. “Our country finds itself at a critical moment in history, and I know this is the leadership team that is right for the challenges we face ahead.”
‘Immediate decision’ from cabinet: senior source
Among the high-profile attendees at Carney’s swearing in are former governors general Michelle Jean and David Johnston, Liberal Party President Sachit Mehra, Chief of Defence Staff Jennie Carignan, and RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme.
Former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien is also attending, telling reporters on his way in that while being prime minister is “a tough job,” he thinks Carney will do “very well.”
Also spotted among the seats in the Rideau Hall ballroom are some familiar faces from earlier Trudeau eras, including his former top adviser Gerry Butts who was involved in Carney’s leadership campaign, Carney’s new chief of staff and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino, and former attorney general David Lametti.
Carney’s itinerary – his first coming from the Prime Minister’s Office – released Friday morning confirms that he will emerge from Rideau Hall and take reporters' questions following the swearing-in.
The new prime minister is likely to face a series of queries about his next steps, from his first trip abroad as prime minister to his plans to speak with U.S President Donald Trump and other world leaders, and whether he intends to recall Parliament or send Canadians to the polls this spring.
Carney will then convene his new ministers at 2 p.m. EDT for their first cabinet meeting under his leadership.
A senior source told CTV News to expect an “immediate decision” from the cabinet this afternoon.
Joly said Friday morning that she’s working to organize a call between Trump and Carney “in the next couple of days,” but wouldn’t confirm Carney’s plans to travel to Europe early next week.
“What I can say to you when it comes to Europe… is Canada wants to foster new partnerships in the world,” she said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre – whose campaign against Carney is well underway amid a tightening in the polls – has called a press conference at 2 p.m. EDT.