Carney’s cabinet shake-up could sideline Trudeau loyalists

Some longtime Liberal ministers are anxiously awaiting their fate as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to reveal a cabinet that could sideline many of Justin Trudeau’s most familiar allies. With a clear mandate to remake the party, Carney is ready to stamp his identity on the federal government—and that means tough cuts.

Carney will on Tuesday (May 13) unveil a new cabinet expected to feature fewer than 30 full ministers and up to 10 secretaries of state, a designation that hasn’t been used in years. An official from the Prime Minister’s Office said nearly half of the new appointments will be fresh faces, some of whom were only recently elected.

Also read: Mark Carney’s first cabinet faces high stakes: who’s in, who’s out, and what’s at risk


Trudeau loyalists at risk as Carney resets priorities
While Chrystia Freeland and Steven Guilbeault are set to stay in cabinet, sources say Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is out. Carney’s leaner federal cabinet is part of a larger effort to centralize power among core ministers while empowering junior secretaries of state with more targeted responsibilities, an approach that departs from Trudeau’s equal-status model.

“Some people who are well known to Canadians are not going to make the cut,” former deputy prime minister John Manley said. “Carney has to present a very different face than the one that surrounded Justin Trudeau.”

The move comes amid rising economic uncertainty, higher joblessness, and renewed Canada-US trade tensions under President Donald Trump. Carney’s economic credentials as a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor have raised expectations for fast, strategic action and a cabinet that reflects his vision.

Liberal insiders point to the likely inclusion of pro-business figures like former Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitão and Toronto executive Tim Hodgson, both aligned with Carney’s pro-growth stance.

A CEO in the PMO: Carney's new management style
Political observers say Carney's cabinet revamp signals a managerial shift in Canadian politics. “This is all about Carney,” said Dalhousie University professor Lori Turnbull. “He may take a CEO-like approach with ministers as vice-presidents responsible for delivering on big mandates.”

Also read: Who will make it to the Canada cabinet as Carney’s bold shake-up begins

Turnbull also expects seasoned ministers like Dominic LeBlanc and Mélanie Joly to survive the shuffle, given their strong ties to Washington which is key as Canada faces growing economic friction with the US.

The revival of the secretary of state role allows Carney to expand leadership capacity without bloating the cabinet. These junior ministers will attend cabinet and committee meetings, but their portfolios will be more specialized, offering a faster route to implementation.

“He has every right to shape his cabinet,” Manley said. “They’re all in Parliament today because Mark Carney turned things around.”