Gary Mar

Published in Financial Post

May 16, 2025

Carney is clearly charting a new course. The question now is whether his government will deliver

One of the most consequential responsibilities of any new Prime Minister is the selection of their cabinet. It reveals priorities, defines how government will operate and sets the tone for how competing regional, political and public interests will be managed. It is also a delicate balancing act — between rewarding loyalty, introducing new talent and signaling fresh purpose.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet, announced this week, carries even greater weight given the country’s deepening divisions — from East to West, urban to rural — amid rising economic anxiety. Canadians are right to scrutinize this team. The country is grappling with overlapping crises: housing, affordability, productivity, trade, geopolitical uncertainty and national unity. Barring the pandemic, these may be the most serious challenges in a generation.

Carney begins with the benefit of a clean slate. He owes little to caucus, having rescued the party from near collapse. That independence allowed him to form a cabinet less bound by legacy loyalties and more reflective of his stated ambitions. Gone are portfolios that seemed more symbolic than substantive — like the now-defunct Ministry of Middle-Class Prosperity. Yes, there are some cringingly familiar faces, but alongside them is a structure that, at least on paper, appears more focused and purpose-driven.

As any seasoned captain will tell you, navigating uncharted waters is difficult — let alone turning the entire ship. That is what voters have asked of this Prime Minister. His first task is to ensure that every officer on deck — cabinet ministers, in this case — is rowing in the same direction. Not toward the past of the former captain left ashore, but aligned with a new course. This is no time for drift or mutiny. The direction must be clear, and all hands on task.

It’s a mix of the familiar and the new. While experienced ministers like Jonathan Wilkinson and Bill Blair are out, key economic files — finance, Canada-U.S. relations, internal trade — have gone to capable hands. Over half the cabinet, however, consists of newcomers to federal executive office. It’s a bold decision that signals a desire for fresh thinking and generational renewal.

Still, critics were quick to pounce. In a country where trust in institutions is eroding, and where 85 per cent of voters demanded change — whether by electing Conservatives or embracing a new Liberal direction under Carney — skepticism is understandable. The cabinet has already been labelled too large, too similar to Trudeau’s, too green, not green enough, too inexperienced, or too establishment. The reaction bordered on chaos — accusations flying from all sides, some contradictory, many heartfelt, all underscoring a national impatience with politics as usual.

But what if we gave them a chance — if only briefly?

The Trudeau years were marked by centralization. Real decision-making often rested with senior PMO staff, while ministers served more as spokespeople than portfolio leaders. The result: key files drifted or became politicized. Carney is clearly charting a new course. His approach is results-driven and uncompromising. He expects performance — and quickly. The question now is whether it will deliver.

The test is whether he will let ministers lead, take responsibility, and be accountable. Canadians — especially in Western Canada — should watch closely. Will this government finally address long-standing economic barriers such as interprovincial trade restrictions and regulatory gridlock? Will it listen to voices outside the Ottawa bubble?

Holding ministers accountable is not the same as dismissing them out of hand. Mistakes will happen. But a government that empowers its cabinet to lead — even imperfectly — is far healthier than one obsessed with optics and centralized control.

We owe it to ourselves — and to our democracy — to judge this cabinet on performance, not just perception. The helm has changed, and the course is set. Let’s see if this crew can deliver. As the old mapmakers once warned: “Beyond this point, there be dragons.”

Deviation from Carney’s navigation chart may not only risk confusion — but political peril. Cabinet, beware.

Gary Mar is president and CEO of the Canada West Foundation.