The prime minister has opted to revisit the use of secretaries of state. It represents both a structural change to cabinet and a change to how decision-making functions, but also signals that a smaller group of ministers focused on very specific mandates can take direct accountability, and demonstrate early action on key files.

Dominic Leblanc remains the point person to address US trade threats, in his new mouthful of a portfolio: President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-US Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy. Tagging on ‘One Canadian Economy’ to Leblanc’s intergovernmental portfolio is a clear indication of the value of his relationships with provincial premiers and the important role they too will play in reducing internal trade barriers.

Facing a renewed western alienation sentiment, Carney made a point of prioritizing national unity in his communications during the election and in the weeks that followed. A new face at Energy and Natural Resources in Tim Hodgson may signal to the west that the Carney administration is looking at this portfolio as an opportunity for economic growth. With a significant CV in finance and private equity, Hodgson’s appointment could also be viewed as a nod to a more industry friendly approach to decision-making around the country’s resource economy.

Carney’s cabinet will also include Edmonton Centre MP Eleanor Olszewski, who will serve as Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, as well as Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. Meanwhile, Buckley Belanger, a new Liberal MP representing rural Saskathewan, will serve as the Secretary of State for Rural Development. Inclusion of Alberta and Saskatchewan representatives around the cabinet table may go some way to ensuring the challenges facing Western Canadians are heard by their peers in Ottawa.

Prime Minister Carney appointed eight Quebec MPs to cabinet, with a number of new faces joining long-serving ministers Champagne, Joly, and Guilbeault around the table.  Longtime Liberal and Québec City MP Joel Lightbound is new to cabinet, and now serves as the minister of government transformation, public works and procurement. Lightbound resigned from his position as Quebec caucus chair for the Liberals in 2022, where he held a memorable press conference criticizing the handling of COVID-19 pandemic by the Trudeau government. Carney also added Majorie Michel (Papineau — Justin Trudeau’s former riding) as minister of health, Mandy Gull-Masty (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou) as minister of Indigenous services, prominent Quebec Liberal Anna Gainey (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount) as secretary of state (children and youth) and Nathalie Provost (Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville) as secretary of state (nature). It isn’t yet clear if one of these ministers will serve in the traditional role of the prime minister’s Quebec Lieutenant.

The cabinet shuffle saw the departure of a few prominent Trudeau-era ministers, including Jonathan Wilkinson (former minister of energy and natural resources), Bill Blair (former minister of national defence), Rachel Bendayan (former associate minister of public safety), Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (former minister of housing, infrastructure and communities) and Ginette Petitpas Taylor (former president of the Treasury Board). A number of new ministers appointed in March also didn’t make the May cabinet cut, including MPs Ali Ehsassi, Kody Blois, and Arielle Kayabaga. However, others were invited to stay on, including François-Philippe Champagne (minister of finance and national revenue), Chrystia Freeland (minister of transport and internal trade), and Dominic Leblanc (president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister responsible for Canada–US trade, intergovernmental affairs and one Canadian economy). Carney has opted for structural changes to cabinet and moving former ministers to new roles to demonstrate change, rather than clearing the decks completely.