Carney to shuffle cabinet, smaller team to face trade war

New Liberal Leader Mark Carney will have a leaner cabinet focused on economic stability and US trade challenges, dropping high-profile ministers while elevating others.  

Sources told CBC that Carney will slash the cabinet from 37 to 15–20 ministers, aimed at Canada’s response to a trade war launched by President Donald Trump. 

Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and ex-leadership contender Karina Gould will not return, though Gould plans to run in the next federal election.  

Chrystia Freeland, a former leadership rival to Carney, has been offered the transport minister role. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly keeps her role while adding international development. 

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne will stay in their portfolios.  

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, a vocal carbon tax advocate, is shifting to an expanded role as Quebec lieutenant, replacing Duclos. 

Guilbeault will oversee biodiversity and Canadian heritage, moving from a portfolio he held since 2021.  

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree is set to become justice minister and attorney general while keeping northern affairs duties. 

Several Trudeau-era ministers, including Justice Minister Arif Virani and Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, have announced they will not seek re-election. 

Health Minister Mark Holland joined that list on Thursday.  

The shakeup highlights Carney’s push for efficiency amid global uncertainty. 

Guilbeault’s reassignment signals a focus on Quebec priorities, while streamlined teams aim to tackle trade disputes. 

Freeland’s expected move to transport underscores infrastructure’s role in Carney’s economic strategy.

The full list of Mark Carney’s pre-election cabinet with 23 ministers:

• International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister and President of the King’s Privy Council Dominic LeBlanc

• Foreign Affairs and International Development Minister Mélanie Joly

• Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne

• Innovation, Science, and Industry Minister Anita Anand

• Defence Minister Bill Blair

• Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu

• Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson

• Treasury Board President Ginette Petitpas Taylor

• Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada Minister, and Quebec Lieutenant Steven Guilbeault

• Transport and Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland

• Health Minister Kamal Khera

• Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree

• Chief Government Whip Rechie Valdez

• Jobs and Families Minister Steven MacKinnon

• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness David McGuinty

• Environment and Climate Change Minister Terry Duguid

• Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Minister Nate Erskine-Smith

• Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister Rachel Bendayan

• Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency Elisabeth Briere

• Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Minister Joanne Thompson

• Government House Leader and Democratic Institutions Minister Arielle Kayabaga

• Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Rural Economic Development Minister Kody Blois

• Government Transformation, Public Services, and Procurement Minister Ali Ehsassi