Carney’s new Cabinet

Or, whose got the security partnership job?

The newly elected Mark Carney government will have to be many things to many people, as the country struggles to respond to Trump threats, to boost its domestic economy, to ensure national unity, and to strengthen its defence and security capabilities. All at speed.

The question won’t get top billing in the general media commentary, but a key capacity the new Cabinet will have to demonstrate is its ability to help shape and deliver the PM’s promise to create a new security partnership, alongside a new economic relationship, with the United States. These will be huge and fraught challenges.

Two of the three Ministers who accompanied Mark Carney on his first (edge of the seat) visit to the White House, and were deeply involved in trying to navigate the security impacts of the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, are gone from their portfolios. Only Dominic Le Blanc remains. He will get a new and diverse Ministerial portfolio to lead on Canada-US trade, intergovernmental affairs and a “one Canadian economy.” Melanie Joly, who went to Washington as Foreign Affairs Minister, is transferred to the Industry job (formerly ISED).

David McGuinty, who served briefly as Public Safety Minister, now moves to Defence. He will inherit one of the biggest (and most expensive) issues facing the Carney government—to restore and rebuild the Canadian military and to deliver existing promises on Arctic security. He will be a key player going forward in trying to shape whatever new security partnership with the United States proves possible, including with regard to NORAD. He is a veteran MP, and his long service as chair of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliament will, serve him well, both in acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the Canadian security system, but also in working across the aisle with opposition politicians.

Anita Anand is rewarded for persevering through a Cabinet demotion in the final days of the Trudeau government and becomes one of the key players on the security file, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, replacing Melanie Joly. As a former Defence Minister, where she developed a strong reputation, she brings vital experience.

Who’s new? Gary Anandasangaree becomes Public Safety Minister. That’s a tough job, especially for a newcomer to the files. Our longest serving Public Safety Minister during the Liberal government was a veteran pol and Minister, Ralph Goodale (2015-2019)—it was a winning formula. Anandasangaree was first elected in 2015, so has a decade in the House, but has scant experience of national security issues or the portfolio agencies he will now preside over, including CSIS, the RCMP and CBSA. He served very briefly as Minister of Justice from March 2025 and has a track record as a human rights advocate, stemming originally from his experience as a Tamil fleeing Sri Lanka during its civil war.

So the new security team will be Anand, Foreign Affairs; Anandasangaree, Public Safety; and McGuinty, Defence. Two veterans, one newbie. With Carney and Le Blanc over-seeing.

I wish them all the best.