Prime Minister Mark Carney vows to get ‘straight to work,’ hints election coming

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Canada has a new prime minister, and on his first day with the new title, Mark Carney moved to do away with one of his predecessor’s marquee policies, and signalled that Canadians will be going to the polls early.

On Friday, Carney swore the oaths of office and allegiance, then presented his new pared-down cabinet to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon in a history-making ceremony at a critical time for the country.

Carney also moved quickly to undo former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s unpopular consumer carbon tax, issuing a late-in-the-day order ending the pricing program, while vowing those receiving the accompanying carbon rebate will receive one final payment in April.

This move came after convening his new ministers for their first-ever cabinet meeting under his leadership, and is being done immediately through an order-in-council bringing the price to zero dollars, while legislation related to the fuel charge remains on the books.

It’s a move Carney made clear voters will be able to assess, in short order.

Taking reporters questions outside Rideau Hall, Carney said voters “certainly should expect to go to the polls before November,” when asked after the ceremony whether his plans over the next few weeks include recalling Parliament or triggering an election.

“We will be going to take some decisions,” Carney continued, alluding to swift policy action in the hours ahead on his key campaign commitments, before going on to state: “There will be other news in the coming days with respect to ensuring that we have as strong a mandate that is needed for the time.”

Carney said that for now, the news of the day is standing behind him, gesturing to his new cabinet.

“We have new ministers with new ideas, ready to respond to new threats and to seize new opportunities,” Carney said.

“Canada’s new government is focused on the things that matter most to Canadians … Canada’s new government will be action-oriented, driven by a smaller but highly experienced team made to meet the moment.”

Trudeau resigns quietly

Arriving at Rideau Hall to officially become Canada’s 24th prime minister, the Liberal leader pledged to get “straight to work.”

“Our message? We’re a very focused government, focused on action. We’re going to get straight to work,” he told reporters on his way to his history-making swearing-in ceremony.

Carney showed up on his own, walking into the governor general’s residence from the side, rather than opting for the walkway stroll that Trudeau made iconic with his grand 2015 coming-to-power.

After nearly a decade leading the country – marked by highs and lows, policy gains and broken promises – Trudeau was the first to visit Rideau Hall on Friday. Trudeau made the resignation he first announced in January official in a private meeting with Simon.

“Thank you, Canada — for trusting in me, for challenging me, and for granting me the privilege to serve the best country, and the best people, on earth,” Trudeau said in a post on social media.

Pared-down cabinet

In revealing his front bench, Carney moved away from Trudeau’s prioritization of regional representation and gender parity, something a senior source said is on account of there being fewer people in cabinet.

“This new, leaner, focused cabinet includes returning ministers, seasoned leaders, and new voices who will bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the team as it delivers on the things that matter most to Canadians, such as strengthening Canada’s economy and security,” said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.

Carney’s 23-person cabinet includes 12 men and 11 women, and there are no ministers from Alberta or P.E.I.

The overall size is down considerably from Trudeau’s last 36-person cabinet, but does include a trio of rookies. Several ministers have lost their cabinet posts, most of whom had said they wouldn’t be running again.

Notably, his main Liberal leadership rival is back in the fold, while third-place finisher Karina Gould is not.

Here is the full list of who is in what’s largely being viewed as Carney’s pre-election cabinet:

• 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 and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development Minister Kody Blois
• Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement Minister Ali Ehsassi

Gould, reacting to her apparent cabinet snubbing – she stepped down as government House leader to run for Trudeau’s old job – said she remains committed to supporting the government in the months ahead, and still plans to run again.

“My sincere congratulations to my colleagues who were sworn in to cabinet today,” Gould said. “Our country finds itself at a critical moment in history, and I know this is the leadership team that is right for the challenges we face ahead.”

Defending the overall makeup and absence of representation from some key voter blocs, Carney said: “People get classified in a way that limits the breadth of experience. I could give you many examples of the pan-Canadian nature of this cabinet.”

‘A little bit of cosmetic surgery’

Among the high-profile attendees at Carney’s swearing-in were former governors general Michaelle Jean and David Johnston, Liberal party president Sachit Mehra, Chief of Defence Staff Jennie Carignan, and RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme.

Former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien attended, telling reporters on his way in that while being prime minister is “a tough job,” he thinks Carney will do “very well.”

Also spotted among the seats in the Rideau Hall ballroom were some familiar faces from earlier Trudeau eras, including his former top adviser Gerry Butts who was involved in Carney’s leadership campaign, Carney’s new chief of staff and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino, and former attorney general David Lametti.

Taking reporters’ questions following the swearing-in, the new prime minister faced a series of queries about his next steps.

Carney confirmed his first trip abroad as prime minister will be next week, upon the invitations of the leaders of France and the U.K.

As for meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Carney said nothing is on the books yet. But, work is underway to organize a call between Trump and Carney in the next couple of days, which the new prime minister said he is looking forward to.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre – whose campaign against Carney is well underway amid a tightening in the polls – pushed back on the idea that his new cabinet represents a changed version of the Liberal party.

Poilievre pointed to fact that 20 members of the new Liberal cabinet were previous ministers under Trudeau, and said Canadians wouldn’t be fooled by “the same Liberal gang with the same Liberal agenda.”

“Mark Carney thinks Canadians are stupid. He thinks that a little bit of cosmetic surgery will allow the Liberals to disguise who they are, and make people forget what they did for 10 years in order to elect them to a fourth liberal term,” he said.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh seemed to suggest he’d be willing to buy Carney more parliamentary time if he presented a package of supports for workers amid the trade war.

“If that pushes the election back a bit, that’s fine. For me, the priority is to get this stuff done first, and then we go to an election. If it takes more time to put in place protections for workers, to put in place an economic plan to create jobs for workers, yeah, I’m prepared to have a bit more time to get that done for workers,” Singh said.

With files from CTV News’ Vassy Kapelos, Stephanie Ha, Mike Le Couteur, Brennan MacDonald, Colton Praill, and Rachel Swatek-Tsang