Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced a new cabinet on Tuesday aimed at redefining Canada’s relationship with Washington.
Carney reduced the number of ministers from 39 under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to 29, while retaining key figures like Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Dominic LeBlanc, who remains in charge of U.S. trade.
Melanie Joly was moved from Foreign Affairs to Industry after four years, with Anita Anand stepping in to replace her. Chrystia Freeland, whose resignation as finance minister last December contributed to Trudeau’s downfall, continues as minister of transport and internal trade. Former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Hodgson was named natural resources minister, replacing Jonathan Wilkinson, who was removed from cabinet. In addition to the core ministers, Carney appointed 10 junior secretaries of state.
“Canadians elected this new government with a strong mandate to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States (and) to build a stronger economy,” Carney’s office said in a statement. “… This focused team will act on this mandate for change with urgency and determination.”
Carney met with President Trump in Washington last week, though the visit yielded no breakthrough on U.S. tariffs targeting Canadian exports. He has called for billions in new spending to reduce the country’s economic dependence on the U.S., end internal trade barriers, and rein in public spending.
Among his immediate pledges are a tax cut and the elimination of all trade restrictions between Canada’s ten provinces by July 1.
One change was the elimination of the labor minister position, replaced by a secretary of state for labor—a move criticized by the Teamsters union as confusing and troubling.
