London MP Arielle Kayabaga appointed House leader in Mark Carney's cabinet
It's the first time a London MP has held a federal cabinet position since 2015
London West Liberal MP Arielle Kayabaga was given a position in Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet during a swearing-in ceremony in Ottawa, early Friday afternoon.
Kayabaga, a former downtown London city councillor, and a federal politician since 2021, will fill the role of government House leader and minister of democratic institutions.
Kayabaga told CBC News she'll advocate for London during her time in the position.
"As a Londoner, as someone who grew up in London, as someone who has represented London at both municipal and federal tables, I think I'd bring the voices of Londoners to cabinet," Kayabaga said. "When important decisions are being made, [ensuring] London is part of that, and not just London, but the southwestern Ontario region."
Eighteen Trudeau government cabinet ministers are not returning to cabinet, either because they have decided not to run in the next election or because Carney replaced them with someone else as he put together a much smaller cabinet.
Kayabaga's new position was last held by Karina Gould, who ran for the Liberal leadership, and is not returning to cabinet.
Kayabaga said her advocacy for southwestern Ontario will tap into the fact that the region is an important corridor for commerce and manufacturing, all while Canada is in the midst of a trade war with the United States.
She also said her experience in both municipal and federal politics will be an asset. She said she's not only worked through crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, but also has experience working in close quarters with political opponents.
When asked whether she expected to hold on to her new portfolio should the Liberals win the next election, Kayabaga said it's not her choice.
"We serve at the pleasure of the prime minister and if the prime minister taps me again, I will be more than happy to do so."
As House leader, Kayabaga will be responsible for coordinating the party's day-to-day business and managing the legislative agenda, although it's unlikely she'll have much time to fulfil those duties before a federal election is called by Carney.
As for her position as minister of democratic institutions, Western University political science professor Laura Stephenson says "it doesn't have a specific set of policies that one might identify."
"The title is a general charge that has been used in a number of different ways," Stephenson said.
Kayabaga did not give specific examples of what her duties in the role would consist of, but said "securing our democracy is very important," and made mentions of keeping foreign interference at bay, and the importance of secure and fair elections.
Selection could signal Carney's plans for the party
Kayabaga's selection could signal Carney's intentions for how he wants to run the party and what he thinks is important, according to Stephenson.
"Miss Kayabaga is a young, fresh face with a great diverse background. I think that's an indicator that maybe he's interested in thinking about youth in our democratic institutions, building up the strength of our democratic institutions," Stephenson said.
Kayabaga's background in local politics before she broke into federal politics could be useful when election time comes, she added.
"Having that background and having those diverse experiences will, I think, help her to get a bit of a handle on what she saw in these different offices in terms of getting people mobilized."
Kayabaga is the first London politician to fill a federal cabinet position since former London West Conservative MP Ed Holder was unseated by the Liberals in 2015.