OTTAWA — Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada's 24th prime minister in a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Friday morning — along with a leaner Liberal cabinet that he said is focused on confronting the immediate threat of U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariffs.
Breezing past reporters on his way into the ceremony about an hour after Justin Trudeau stepped down, Carney said his team was ready to go.
"We're a very focused government, focused on action. We're going to get straight to work," he said.
The new government includes 20 Trudeau-era ministers along with three new faces from the Liberal caucus.
Carney has kept the core members of the team that has been handling U.S.-Canada relations since Trump returned to the White House, though some of them have taken on new or additional roles.
François-Philippe Champagne has become finance minister, and Anita Anand took over his former portfolio as minister of innovation, science and industry.
Dominic LeBlanc was named minister of international trade and intergovernmental affairs and president of the King’s Privy Council.
Mélanie Joly, who was set to be sworn in later in the day after wrapping up the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Charlevoix, Que., will stay on as minister of foreign affairs and take on international development.
David McGuinty held onto his job as public safety minister and took on the added role of emergency preparedness.
Chrystia Freeland, whose December resignation as finance minister was the catalyst for Trudeau's decision to step down, is now transport minister. She came in a very distant second to Carney in the Liberal leadership race last Sunday.
Steven Guilbeault was moved from the environment file to become minister of a renamed portfolio: Canadian culture and identity. He's also heading up Parks Canada and serving as the government's Quebec lieutenant.
Gary Anandasangaree is still minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs, but he also took on the job of justice minister and attorney general.
Bill Blair stayed on as defence minister and Patty Hajdu remains minister of Indigenous services. Kamal Khera moved to health, Steven MacKinnon is minister of jobs and families, and Rachel Bendayan now runs immigration, refugees and citizenship.
Among the new faces are Ontario MP Arielle Kayabaga, who is now government House leader and minister of democratic institutions, and Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois, minister of agriculture and agri-food and rural development.
Ontario MP Ali Ehsassi was named minister of public services and procurement and minister of "government transformation" — a new title.
Eight Trudeau-era ministers who were not planning to run in the next election — including Mark Holland, Arif Virani and Lawrence MacAulay — were not named to Carney's cabinet.
This cabinet is expected to be in place when a general election is launched — likely before March 24, the date Parliament is set to resume.
Susan Smith, co-founder of Bluesky Strategy Group, said she thinks Carney is trying "to signal both stability and a change in economic direction" with his cabinet picks.
She said moving Guilbeault out of the environment role is "a major, major shift" that will make "a lot of people very happy," and also seems to signal that Carney will take a different approach to the energy sector.
Some high-profile Trudeau ministers who were not invited to be part of Carney's government include Marc Miller, Jean-Yves Duclos, Ahmed Hussen and Diane Lebouthillier.
Smith said Miller was "extremely effective" as a spokesperson for the government.
"If he's temporarily not in cabinet, he can focus exclusively on a campaign," she said.
Former prime minister Jean Chrétien said he thinks Carney will do very well in the top job.
"He has a lot of experience and he (has) proved himself," he told reporters as he arrived for the ceremony on Friday.
Chrétien said Carney will have to adjust every day "because (President Trump) has to be in the news every day."
His advice: "Do your best."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 14, 2025.
Sarah Ritchie and Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
