Carney Cabinet Marks Break from Old Guard as Major Liberals Shown the Door

Canada’s new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has unveiled a Cabinet that sharply distances itself from the previous government’s inner circle, replacing high-profile, underperforming ministers with largely new faces and reorganizing key roles in a move that looks more like a hard reset than a routine shuffle.

The most glaring removals include Terry Duguid of Manitoba, whose lack of visibility and negligible impact made him one of the least effective federal ministers in recent memory. Also out of a high profile portfolio is Mélanie Joly, who struggled to maintain credibility on the international stage and was seen by many as fundamentally unfit to lead Canada’s foreign affairs file. She has been replaced by Anita Anand, a more experienced and capable MP with a background in law and national defense.

More than half of the Cabinet ministers announced today are first-timers, signaling a clear effort to sever ties with the Trudeau-era status quo. The reshaped Ministry reflects a government that knows the old approach is no longer palatable to voters — or viable given the current economic and geopolitical climate.

Another major development is the introduction of “Secretaries of State,” a new tier of junior ministers that mirrors structures used in the United States. These roles, while subordinate to full ministers, have defined mandates and are expected to take on substantive responsibility in specific areas such as defence procurement, rural development, seniors, and labour.

Notably, former senior figures like Chrystia Freeland have been moved to lower-profile, more technically focused posts, such as Transport and Internal Trade. While she retains a seat at the table, the shift away from marquee portfolios like Finance indicates a repositioning of influence inside the government.

The new Cabinet also consolidates power in areas tied directly to economic restructuring and national security. Carney’s appointments emphasize infrastructure, AI, and trade — reflecting priorities that are less ideological and more responsive to a fragile domestic economy and uncertain global order. There is also a marked increase in regional and Indigenous representation, with ministers such as Rebecca Chartrand (Northern and Arctic Affairs) and Mandy Gull-Masty (Indigenous Services) taking on major responsibilities.

Key appointments include:

• François-Philippe Champagne as Minister of Finance and National Revenue
• Sean Fraser as Minister of Justice and Attorney General
• David J. McGuinty as Minister of National Defence
• Evan Solomon as Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation
• Gregor Robertson as Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

The Cabinet will also be supported by ten Secretaries of State, tasked with zeroing in on policy areas that had long been ignored or mismanaged under the previous administration.

For now, the government’s messaging is focused on economic renewal, cost-of-living relief, and stabilizing Canada’s role in an increasingly unstable world. That includes strengthening U.S. relations, rebuilding domestic infrastructure, and rolling out digital governance tools through new ministries.

Whether this team will succeed remains to be seen. But today’s announcement makes one thing clear: the new Prime Minister is distancing himself from the old regime, and he’s doing it with speed and precision. The next test will be whether this new group — half untested, many unfamiliar to the public — can translate new titles into measurable results. Because political resets mean nothing without delivery.

The new Cabinet is appointed as follows:

• Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board
• Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
• Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety
• François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue
• Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
• Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
• Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
• Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
• Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
• Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services
• Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
• Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
• Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
• Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy
• Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
• Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
• Steven MacKinnon, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
• David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
• Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
• Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
• Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health
• Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
• Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
• Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade
• Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
• Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
• Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

The Cabinet will be supported by 10 secretaries of State who will provide dedicated leadership on key issues and priorities within their minister’s portfolio.

The new secretaries of State are appointed as follows:

• Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development)
• Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
• Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)
• Wayne Long, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
• Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors)
• Nathalie Provost, Secretary of State (Nature)
• Ruby Sahota, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)
• Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development)
• Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport)
• John Zerucelli, Secretary of State (Labour)