Canada Election 2025: Mark Carney’s First Cabinet Faces High Bets: Who’s Here, Who’s Out, What Risks Are There
Prime Minister Mark Carney officially unveiled his inauguration lineup, with everyone gazes at the Rido Hall on Tuesday morning. The Governor’s Office confirmed Friday that the swearing-in ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the historic ballroom, just steps from Carney’s new residence in Rideau Cottage.
The ceremony overseen by Governor Mary Simon will mark a critical moment for Canada’s newly elected liberal leaders who must now turn their campaign commitments into action. In just two weeks, while the G7 summit in June approaches, Carney’s cabinet selection will serve as the tone of how he plans to manage and whether he can deliver on his promises of efficiency, regional representatives and renewal. Now, the promise will be tested against real-world stress, including economic headwinds and a trade standoff with the United States.
New faces can define Carney’s update agenda
Carney has promised to uphold gender equality, but will continue to speculate whether he will surpass his pre-election cabinet pick to accommodate new liberal talent and regional diversity.
“You have to balance a bunch of things,” said Scott Reid, a political analyst at CTV News. “You have to balance gender, region, you have to balance old and new … You don’t want a full green rookie cabinet, but on the other hand, you definitely want to send out signals and have some fresh blood.” Among the new immigrants who are closely watching, there are:
- Former Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson
- Calgary organizer and strategist Corey Hogan
- Former Manitoba Minister Buckley Belanger
- Broadcasting company transformation politician Evan Solomon
- Engineer and Provost of ÉcolePolytechnique Survivor Nathalie
It also caused a buzz: former IBM Canada CEO Claude Guay, Trois-Rivières economist Caroline Desrochers, former Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitão and former Galderman Sachs executive Tim Hodgson, former Canadian consultant Carney.
These fresh faces may symbolize Carney’s bold shift in national policy, especially as the Canadian Liberal Party faces calls for generations and regional renewal.
Veterans under pressure to deliver in the “war cabinet”
Still, many key Trudeau era veterans could keep their posts (or reassign) to ensure continuity in key files. Under a microscope:
- International Trade Minister Dominic Leblanc
- Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly
- Finance Minister François Philip Champagne
- Industry Minister Anita Anand
- Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Internal Trade and Transport
- Canadian Minister of Culture Steven Guilbeault
“Mark Carney should see it as a war cabinet because the reality is that we are fighting tariff wars with the United States,” said CTV News Poller Nik Nanos. “It’s making sure the right people are in the right place.”
Nano people stressed that the liberal government also needed a solidarity cabinet and had strong regional representatives. With election victories in each province and in both territories, Carney has flexibility, but there is also pressure to make room for a wide variety of sounds on the table.
