Freeland to be transport minister, Guilbeault Quebec lieutenant in Carney cabinet: sources
Prime minister-designate aiming for leaner cabinet of 15 to 20 members
Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and former Liberal leadership candidate Karina Gould will not be in Mark Carney's cabinet, sources tell CBC News.
But sources with knowledge of the decision told CBC News that Carney has invited another former leadership rival, Chrystia Freeland, to become transport minister.
Staunch carbon tax defender and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is also being shuffled into a new role, according to sources with knowledge of the decision.
The Montreal MP and former Greenpeace activist, who has held the environment portfolio since 2021, will get an enlarged role as Quebec lieutenant (a role formerly held by Duclos) and a new portfolio that includes biodiversity and Canadian heritage, according to a source with knowledge of the decision.
However, he will no longer be the face of the fight against climate change.
During a news conference Thursday in his riding of Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Guilbeault called serving as environment minister "the privilege of a lifetime," but wouldn't confirm or deny if he was leaving the role.
Canada's next prime minister appears intent on marking a clear break with the Trudeau-era consumer carbon tax, a policy Guilbeault has aggressively defended. That made him a polarizing minister in parts of the country, and he often faced off against Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Carney, once a proponent of carbon pricing, campaigned on dropping the carbon tax and repeated in his acceptance speech Sunday to "immediately eliminate the divisive consumer carbon tax on families, farmers and small- and medium-sized businesses."
Guilbeault suggested earlier this year that he's open to replacing the federal scheme if candidates can propose new measures to help Canada achieve its climate targets. Guilbeault has blamed Conservative "disinformation" for making the measure toxic to Canadians.
"I continue to believe the consumer portion of carbon pricing is a sound piece of public policy," he said Thursday.
Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said keeping Guilbeault in cabinet shows "Carney is proving he is just like Justin" and will make life more unaffordable for families."
Slimmer cabinet expected
Sources with knowledge of Carney's plans have said he's aiming for a more svelte cabinet to confront the trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump and the ensuing economic uncertainty.
Those sources said Carney's team will be in the range of 15 to 20 ministers — paring down from the 37 members in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet. Sources also told CBC News that while Gould, a former Trudeau cabinet member, has not been offered a portfolio — she intends to run again.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is keeping her job, in addition to becoming minister of international development, according to sources with knowledge of the decision.
Other key players on the Canada-U.S. relations file, like Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, are also expected to keep their jobs.
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree, who also serves as minister of northern affairs, is set to become the justice minister and Canada's attorney general, while keeping his other portfolios, sources with knowledge of the decision told CBC News.
Several ministers in the Trudeau cabinet have said they won't run in the next election, including Justice Minister Arif Virani, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge and, as of Thursday, Health Minister Mark Holland.
At an event on Thursday, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon did not say whether he's received a call about his future from Carney's team, deferring to Friday's big event.
He did suggest the team will be made up of experienced members.
"This is a group of people that needs to be ready to face the threats that we are facing from the United States on the trade front," he said.
"This is an experienced group of ministers. This is a group of people who will take with them the great pride and the great determination that Canadians are showing."
Friday's transition will begin when Trudeau meets with Governor General Mary Simon to resign and recommend that she ask the new leader to form a government and new ministry.
Carney travelling to Europe next week: source
Since winning the leadership in a blowout victory on Sunday, Carney has been in transition and security briefings and meetings, including with Canada's ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, and RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme.
While an election is expected imminently, Carney is squeezing in an official trip overseas. A source with knowledge of the trip says Carney is expected to travel to London and Paris next week. The trip to Europe comes as a trade war plays out with the U.S.
Not only does Carney take the reins during unstable times, he has to decide whether he'll send Canadians to the polls right away. It's widely believed he'll call an election before March 24, when Parliament is scheduled to return, meaning Canadians would vote in late April or early May.
Carney does not hold a seat in the House of Commons. A source close to Carney said a decision hasn't been made yet on the riding where he'll be the Liberal candidate.
Besides building his cabinet, Carney's inner circle is coming into focus.
Sources with knowledge of Carney's transition team told CBC News Tim Krupa has been tapped as policy director, a role he held during the leadership campaign. He ran as the Liberal candidate in Kelowna-Lake Country in 2021, losing to Conservative Tracy Gray.
The Oxford grad previously worked as an adviser in the Prime Minister's Office during Trudeau's early years before working as an economist at Goldman Sachs.
Former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino, who has said he won't seek re-election, is serving as Carney's chief of staff as he transitions from leadership campaign mode to governing the country.
A spokesperson for Carney said Mendicino's appointment is a temporary one through this transition period.
Former justice minister David Lametti is also helping with Carney's transition.
Earlier this week, Radio-Canada reported that Carney's team has approached former Quebec premier Jean Charest to offer him a role.
The nature of the position is unknown. But according to Radio-Canada sources with knowledge of the discussion, Charest has no intention of becoming a minister.
Charest, who was instrumental in setting in motion the Canada-European Union free trade agreement (CETA), is currently a member of Trudeau's Council on Canada-U.S. Relations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Rosemary Barton, Kate McKenna, Laurence Martin and Ashley Burke