Carney's heavily scrutinized chief of staff to remain in role for now

Former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino will stay on as Mark Carney's chief of staff for the time being, the prime minister announced Thursday.

Carney tapped Mendicino for the role after winning the Liberal leadership in March. Sources told CBC News at the time that the former MP would be in his new role only temporarily — which the prime minister alluded to in his Thursday social media post.

"As we prepare for the Throne Speech, I have asked Mr. Mendicino to stay into the summer in order to support the launch of the government's mandate in Parliament and to lead the transition of the [Prime Minister's Office] on my behalf. I am grateful that he has agreed to do so," Carney wrote.

The prime minister noted that Mendicino had originally planned to return to Toronto before signing on as chief of staff, and credited him for his "vital" support after the Liberal leadership race, election and the transition to government.

Opposition parties heavily scrutinized Carney's choice to hire Mendicino at the time, both for his time in cabinet and his stance on the Middle East.

Mendicino was public safety minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, but was shuffled out of cabinet in 2023, after facing calls from Conservatives for his resignation over serial killer Paul Bernardo's transfer to a medium-security prison.

The NDP also criticized Mendicino for being one of a handful of Liberal MPs who refused to back a House motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza last year.

Mendicino announced in early January he would not be seeking re-election, writing in a statement that he "disagreed" with the direction of the then-Trudeau government.