Thursday, May 14, 2026
ADVT 
National

Five things to know about Prime Minister Mark Carney's new cabinet

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Mar, 2025 04:50 PM
  • Five things to know about Prime Minister Mark Carney's new cabinet

Mark Carney was sworn in Friday as Canada's 24th prime minister in a ceremony in Rideau Hall, alongside his new cabinet.

Here are five things to know about the new prime minister's plans and his new cabinet.

Fewer ministers

The most noticeable difference between Justin Trudeau's cabinet and Carney's is its size. The new cabinet is made of 24 MPs — 13 men, including Carney, and 11 women. Trudeau's last cabinet had 37 members.

Carney said his cabinet has two main priorities: protecting Canadians from the effects of the trade war with the U.S. and reining in government spending.

Who's in, who's out? 

Carney's former leadership rival Chrystia Freeland was named minister of transportation and internal trade, but Karina Gould, the only other sitting MP on the leadership ballot, was left out. Gould left cabinet in January to join the race.

Internal trade has become a bigger priority since U.S. President Donald Trump began his trade war with Canada and much of the world. After being sworn in, Carney said that he wants to shift Canada from 13 economies to one national economy.

Nine ministers who previously talked about running for another term were left out: Marc Miller, Ahmed Hussen, Terry Beech, Diane Lebouthillier, Darren Fisher, Jenna Sudds, Ya'ara Saks, Jean-Yves Duclos and Ruby Sahota.

There are three new faces in the new cabinet: Agriculture Minister Kody Blois, Government Transformation Minister Ali Ehsassi and government House leader Arielle Kayabaga.

Carney's first international trip

Carney said that he will be heading to Europe in the coming days to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Carney said the focus of these talks will be to reinforce trade relationships between the two countries and discuss national security. He said that he will have similar discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Carney said he received invitations to visit from France and the U.K.

The Republican elephant in the room

Carney said he has no current plan to travel to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump.

He said he intends to speak with him in the coming days but nothing has been scheduled.

Carney reiterated that Canada will never become a U.S. state — something that Trump has called for in exchange for lifting his tariffs.

Carney called the notion of Canada becoming a U.S. state "crazy."

The prime minister said that Canada is the United States' biggest commercial client, and clients "expect respect" and the ability to work together in a "proper" way.

He also made a specific move to appoint a new minister of Canadian culture and identity. The role is being filled by Steven Guilbeault, formerly the minister of environment, and replaces the heritage file.

Carney said the job will be focused on "reinforcing" all aspects of Canadian identity.

Ending the consumer carbon price

After suggesting he would remove the consumer carbon price by the end of the day, Carney signed an order-in-council Friday to terminate it "as of April 1, 2025."

Carney also said people who have been getting a rebate on the carbon price will get one final payment for the next quarter in April.

The price was scheduled to rise from $80 to $95 per tonne on April 1.

While Carney has long supported carbon pricing as an effective way to reduce emissions, he promised to end the consumer levy during his Liberal leadership campaign.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made opposition to the carbon price a central theme of his attacks on the government, blamed it for cost of living increases and repeatedly called for a "carbon tax election."

When asked when Canadians can expect to go to the polls, Carney said "before November."

MORE National ARTICLES

Man charged in break and enter

Man charged in break and enter
Mounties in Richmond say a man has been charged after an alleged five-day break and enter spree in the city a year ago. They say that between November 8th and 12th, 2023, officers were called to nine break-and-enters in apartment buildings in the city centre.

Man charged in break and enter

Trudeau says no question incoming U.S. president Trump is serious on tariff threat

Trudeau says no question incoming U.S. president Trump is serious on tariff threat
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says incoming U.S. president Donald Trump's threats on tariffs should be taken seriously. President-elect Trump threatened on social media this week to impose a 25-per-cent import tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico over concerns about border enforcement.

Trudeau says no question incoming U.S. president Trump is serious on tariff threat

Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery

Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery
Canada's top court has affirmed the constitutionality of a law allowing British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers on behalf of other provinces, the territories and the federal government. The Supreme Court of Canada's 6-1 decision Friday is another step toward a potential cross-country action by governments that paid to treat patients who took the addictive drugs. 

Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery

As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention

As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
As Australia moves to ban social media for children under 16, Quebec is debating whether to follow suit. The provincial government decided last spring to study the possibility of setting a minimum age for social media accounts, following a push from the youth wing of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec.

As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention

Canadian news publishers suing ChatGPT developer OpenAI

Canadian news publishers suing ChatGPT developer OpenAI
A coalition of Canadian news publishers is suing OpenAI for using news content to train its ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence system. The coalition includes The Canadian Press, Torstar, Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada.

Canadian news publishers suing ChatGPT developer OpenAI

Loose wheel from truck crashes head-on into SUV on B.C. highway

Loose wheel from truck crashes head-on into SUV on B.C. highway
BC Highway Patrol says the crash happened just before 11 a.m. on a stretch of Highway 1 in Chilliwack, where an eastbound dump truck saw two of its wheels come loose from one of its axles as it was driving. Police say one of the loose wheels then crossed the highway into the westbound lanes, where it hit the SUV head-on.

Loose wheel from truck crashes head-on into SUV on B.C. highway