The new federal government’s priorities became clearer this week when Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his new cabinet.
The 28 ministers include many familiar faces and portfolios. But in a departure from his pre-election cabinet, Carney also named 10 secretaries of state — a move last seen under former prime minister Stephen Harper.
Secretaries of state are not cabinet ministers. They provide dedicated leadership on issues that are within a cabinet minister’s portfolio. They do not have their own ministry, department or budget.
Below, we highlight notable appointments — and snubs — and summarize what to expect on key files, including housing, families and seniors, drugs and defence.
Housing
Former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson is the new minister of housing and infrastructure. Robertson, a rookie MP, takes on the role at a time when housing remains a pressing national concern.
The Carney government has pledged to double the pace of housing construction, in part by creating a government agency to build and finance the construction of new homes. It has also promised to cut the GST for first-time homebuyers on homes up to $1 million.
Robertson says he does not believe housing prices need to go down. Speaking to reporters before the new cabinet’s first meeting, he said his focus is on maintaining price stability while introducing new homes into the market.
“The government of Canada has not been building affordable housing since the ‘90s, and we’ve created a huge shortage across Canada. That’s where the big need is right now.”
In a May 15 social media post, Conservative Party Housing Critic Scott Aitchison said Robertson “couldn’t be more wrong” regarding the need for housing prices to come down. He also criticized the Liberals’ hands-on approach to the housing market.
“I don’t think Minister Robertson gets it,” wrote Aitchison. “The federal government should not be in the business of building homes. They need to get out of the way.”
Robertson replaces previous housing minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who was first named to the role in December 2024. Erskine-Smith kept the position in Carney’s first cabinet, but was removed from Carney’s second cabinet.
In a statement on social media, Erskine-Smith said he felt let down by the prime minister:
“It’s impossible not to feel disrespected and the way it played out doesn’t sit right. But I’m mostly disappointed that my team and I won’t have the chance to build on all we accomplished with only a short runway.”
Family
Justin Trudeau was the first prime minister to name a minister for families, children and social development in 2015. Carney has split this remit into two positions. He has appointed veteran minister Patty Hajdu as minister of jobs and families. And he has appointed Anna Gainey as secretary of state for children and youth.
The Liberals have promised to uphold the national subsidized child-care program, a hallmark of the Trudeau government. They have also vowed to make the National School Food Program permanent.
Carney’s decision to combine jobs and families into a single portfolio does not mean either is at risk of being neglected, says Michael Wernick of the University of Ottawa. Ministerial titles are chosen for “political signalling purposes,” he said.
Departments and ministries are like “building blocks that get snapped apart and put back together in different combinations,” said Wernick, who served as clerk of the Privy Council from 2016 to 2019.
Seniors
Stephanie McLean, a first-time MP from B.C., was named secretary of state for seniors.
This decision to not have a minister for seniors drew qualified praise.
“The appointment of McLean to this junior cabinet role is a step toward giving older Canadians greater visibility in federal policymaking — but it’s only a step,” said Gabrielle Gallant, policy director at the National Institute on Ageing.
“Canada needs focused and empowered leadership to prepare for the realities of a super-aged society,” she added.
The party’s platform included several measures directed toward seniors. These include a decrease of 25 per cent to RRIF withdrawals for one year; a five per cent increase in the GIS for low-income seniors; and continued work developing a national caregiving strategy.
The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence’s executive director Liv Mendelsohn said a cabinet minister must be responsible for the caregiving strategy. “It will be necessary to have the strategy be the purview of a particular minister … for accountability and to really move the ball forward.”
Drugs
The Liberal platform pledges to address the toxic drug crisis by combining tougher law enforcement with mental health investments.
Past governments have included a minister specifically for mental health and addictions. This one does not.
Marjorie Michel, a rookie MP, takes on the important role of health minister. Sean Fraser, a cabinet minister since 2021, will serve as justice minister. Ruby Sahota, an MP since 2015, is secretary of state for combatting crime.
Some key party pledges include “end[ing] drug and human trafficking,” jailing those who profit from fentanyl, and hiring more border agents, RCMP officers and federal prosecutors.
At the same time, the Liberal platform frames the opioid crisis as a “mental health and addictions crisis.” It promises more than $4 billion in funding for emergency responses to the drug crisis, health infrastructure and team-based mental health care.
The platform is largely silent on controversial drug policies introduced during the Trudeau years, including harm reduction, drug decriminalization and safer supply.
Defence
Carney appointed David McGuinty as Canada’s new minister of national defence — replacing Bill Blair, who is now out of cabinet for the first time since 2018. McGuinty, a longtime Liberal MP, was first appointed to cabinet as minister of public safety in December 2024.
McGuinty assumes the defence portfolio as the Carney government is promising to invest billions of dollars to rearm the Canadian military.
“Now more than ever, we need to secure Canadian sovereignty by strengthening our military,” Carney told reporters in March.
The Liberals’ platform includes commitments to reduce reliance on American military procurement and to increase defence spending to meet NATO’s two per cent spending target by 2030. New investments are expected to focus on Arctic sovereignty, domestic defence manufacturing and expanded military co-ordination with European allies.
McGuinty will also be tasked with overseeing Canada’s role in Operation Reassurance, the NATO mission in Eastern Europe, as well as reviewing procurement options for new fighter jets and naval capabilities.
Foreign affairs
Carney appointed Anita Anand as Canada’s new minister of foreign affairs.
Anand held numerous cabinet positions throughout the Trudeau era, most notably as minister of national defence from 2021 to 2023. She is now responsible for managing Canada’s diplomatic relationships amidst an ongoing trade dispute with the United States. She will share this responsibility with Dominic LeBlanc, whose new title is Minister of Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy.
Carney has indicated that his foreign ministry will be tasked with fortifying Canadian-European relations, with a particular focus on a defence partnership.
“A Mark Carney-led government will forge a new Canada-Europe Arctic security co-operation agreement that deepens ties in the North in recognition of the rapidly shifting security landscape,” the Liberal platform says.
Anand will also oversee Canada’s approach to Middle Eastern relations in a moment of exceptional turmoil. Speaking to reporters before a May 14 cabinet meeting, Anand criticized Israel’s blockade of Gaza and reaffirmed Canada’s support for a two-state solution.
“We cannot allow the continued use of food as a political tool,” Anand said. “The prime minister has been very clear about that. Over 50,000 people have died as a result of the aggression caused against the Palestinian and the Gazan people in Palestine and using food as a political tool is simply unacceptable and we need to continue to work towards a ceasefire. We need to ensure that we have a two-state solution and Canada will continue to maintain that position.”
Disability
Unlike Trudeau’s cabinets, Carney’s cabinet does not include a minister or secretary of state for people with disabilities.
In a statement released shortly after the cabinet announcement, several disability organizations called the loss of this minister “a step backward from the progress that has been achieved.”
In 2023, the Trudeau government passed legislation to create the Canada Disability Benefit, a financial benefit for low-income working-age adults with disabilities. Only individuals who receive the Disability Tax Credit are eligible for this benefit.
In its platform, the Liberals promised to review and reform applications for the Disability Tax Credit. It is unclear who will oversee this review and other disability-related priorities without a designated disabilities minister.
Every minister needs to consider how their work impacts people with disabilities, says Krista Carr, CEO of Inclusion Canada. But a minister for people with disabilities ensures someone in cabinet has the “time and mandate to really push those issues forward.”
Housing price is a complicated issue. If housing prices were to fall too quickly or too much it could destabilize the economy by causing negative equity for many who bought at the market peak. There would be a domino effect of decreased consumer spending and bankruptcy contributing to recession. Prices likely will fall somewhat when there is an increase in housing stock. However, it is the market that determines price so not an easy fix. I have grandchildren approaching adulthood in the metro Vancouver area so do very much appreciate the crisis.