TORONTO – It is an important first step. Canada has been without a government since the House adjourned for the Christmas Break in December 2024, and the former PM prorogued Parliament in January to launch a Liberal leadership renewal followed by an ensuing election in April.
Renewed congratulations to the new Prime Minister Mark Carney and best wishes for success in their new role to the Ministers he has selected to execute his plan. It is a proud moment for each and every one of them, no matter the depth of their experience and expertise. They will be tested soon and quickly enough. The pomp and circumstance of protocol should be enjoyed in the moment.
For the Corriere, the operational plans and performance will always remain foremost; the political expressions and personalities must necessarily take second place to nation-building.
In that regard, the ceremonials of yesterday also serve as a reminder that with privilege there is great responsibility and obligation. Is this Cabinet, as described by F. Veronesi elsewhere in these pages, the ideal unit?
That PM Carney is asking for public trust in his choices is, in part, evidenced by the nuanced reference to the “competence in government” suggested by historical political personae associated with federal governments of the past half century: Governors General Clarkson, Jean, Johnson; former PM Cretien (whose tenures in government go back to the 1960s) and even a former Clerk of the Privy Council, J. Charette.
PM Carney, with that as a “supporting cast” could afford himself the almost complete overhaul of the Executive Council, diminished in numbers but [presumably] infused with an anticipated inherent zest to accomplish success in the face of the apparent challenges that have appeared in the last recent years, particularly in the last quarter of 2024.
The obvious ones are the political and economic threats to our survival, including, but not limited to, the aggressiveness of the newly elected American President, the precariousness of international partnerships based on reciprocally beneficial trade or military infrastructures, and the demographic challenges of migrations world-wide.
Here at home, affordability, public safety, equitable distribution of the benefits inherent in our national resources and the maximizing of the talent we must develop in our peoples. The choice of these Ministers may well determine how quickly or how effectively we may attain our goals.
Another determinant is the operational structure they will manage to bring about the transformational service Canadians expect of their government(s). There is no question that the face and aspirations of Canada is changing: the last Census, in 2021, found that 25% of Canadians speak a third (ethnic) language at home and/or at work. If language is a function of how we express our aspirations and experiences then the Cabinet will be forgiven, and complemented, for integrating those traits in a “Canada Strong” theme.
In the pic below, the cover image of Mark Carney’s Twitter X page (@MarkJCarney)
