Nearly one-third of the new cabinet consists of MPs from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) — though Prime Minister Mark Carney said ministers would represent all Canadians nationwide.The prime minister in efforts to implement the “big changes” Canadians voted for, fired five veteran ministers from cabinet, including ministers who’d spent a decade in cabinet, per Blacklock’s Reporter.“Canadians elected us with a mandate for change, so there is a great deal of change in this cabinet by necessity,” Carney told reporters on Tuesday. Defence Minister Bill Blair, a retired Toronto police chief, was removed, as were Public Works Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Treasury Board President Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.Blair’s dismissal followed Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue’s January 28 final report from the Commission on Foreign Interference that he “dropped the ball” on subterfuge by Chinese agents.The finding targeted an unexplained 54-day delay by Blair in signing a police warrant for surveillance of Liberal party operatives in contact with the Chinese Consulate in Toronto. The judicial inquiry was told Blair typically liked to work from home – “He was not always in the office,” testified a deputy minister – and preferred to have staff recite memos aloud rather than read the documents himself..Carney’s cabinet, though he said his government will “govern for all Canadians, all regions” — yet his appointments left one senior minister west of Winnipeg.“We wanted a cabinet that reflects Canada in all its diversity and grandeur and experience,” said Carney on Tuesday.“I don’t want a cabinet that just looks like me.”Of the 38-member ministry a total 12 are from the GTA. Carney noted the cabinet overall includes representation from every province.“We are in a position where we have cabinet members from all the provinces. I am very proud of that,” he said.The only senior cabinet member west of Winnipeg is Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, former mayor of Vancouver. Four junior appointees from BC were Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai and Secretary of State for Seniors Stephanie McLean.Three appointees were from the Prairies: Northern Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand, Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski and Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger.Nine Québec MPs were appointed: Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, Public Works Minister Joel Lightbound, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon, Health Minister Marjorie Michel, Secretary of State for Youth Anna Gainey and Secretary of State for Nature Nathalie Provost.Two New Brunswick appointees were MPs Dominic LeBlanc as President of the Privy Council and Wayne Long as Minister of State for Revenue. Two Nova Scotians in cabinet were Attorney General Sean Fraser and Immigration Minister Lena Metledge Diab.One Prince Edward Islander was appointed, Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and a lone Newfoundland and Labrador MP, Joanne Thompson. Thompson was reappointed as fisheries minister..Twelve appointees were named from the GTA. They were Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Minister of Digital Innovation Evan Solomon, Minister of Gender Equality Rechie Valdez, Secretary of State for Combating Crime Ruby Sahota, Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden and Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli.“Our government will deliver its mandate for change with urgency and determination,” said Carney.“We are going to deliver that mandate with a new team, purpose-built, for this hinge moment in Canada’s history.”Carney said he expected all ministers to “show leadership,” “bring new ideas,” “have a clear focus and to take decisive action to accomplish their work.” He did not elaborate. “Canadians elected this new government with a strong mandate,” he said.
