Canada's next election will take place on April 28: sources
PM Carney's office says he'll meet with the Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at noon ET on Sunday
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to ask the Governor General on Sunday to dissolve Parliament, marking the beginning of a federal election campaign.
Sources have confirmed to CBC News that election day will be on April 28 — meaning federal parties will be sprinting through the shortest election period possible under Canadian law.
Federal campaigns must be between 37 and 51 days in length, according to Canada's election rules, and election day must fall on a Monday (with a few exceptions). Should Carney call the election on Sunday, April 28 would be Day 37 of the election period.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told CBC News that Carney will meet with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Sunday at noon ET, then hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Afterward, Carney will travel to St. John's, the PMO said. He's expected to travel across the country during his first week of the federal election campaign.
Earlier this week, the Globe and Mail reported that Carney is expected to call the snap election for April 28.
Carney is making the call against a backdrop of public opinion polls that have placed the Liberal Party just out front in the coming contest.
Carney says government needs ‘strong and clear mandate’ when asked about calling an election According to CBC's Poll Tracker, the Liberals under Carney are leading with 37.8 per cent, compared with Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives, who stand just below that, at 37.2 per cent support.
The CBC Poll Tracker suggests that if a vote were to take place now, the Liberals could secure 176 seats to the Conservatives' 133.
Parties gearing up for a campaign
Although the election call isn't expected until Sunday, Canada's federal parties are already trotting out policy ideas to sway Canadians to their side.
On Friday, after meeting with Canada's premiers, Carney said his federal government intends to remove barriers to the free movement of workers, goods and services between provinces and territories. The prime minister said the goal is to have "free trade by Canada Day."
People line up outside a polling station in Toronto to vote in Canada's federal election on Sept. 20, 2021. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)
Earlier in the day, Poilievre continued his push to draw in working-class voters with a plan to train 350,000 more trade workers across the country — a plan he billed as "more boots, less suits" that can "bring home a country that works for the people that do the work."
Last Sunday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party would cancel Canada's contract to buy U.S.-built F-35s and look for companies to build fighter jets in Canada amid tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Carney will ask Governor General to dissolve Parliament Sunday and call election, sources say
Voting day will either be April 28 or May 5, according to sources
Prime Minister Mark Carney will ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election this Sunday, Radio-Canada has learned.
The election campaign will kick off barely a week after Carney was sworn in as prime minister and appointed his cabinet.
Carney's trip to Rideau Hall to speak to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will come a day before MPs were scheduled to return after Parliament was prorogued on Jan. 6.
An election campaign is expected to last between 36 and 50 days. Election day remains to be confirmed, but voters are expected to cast their ballots on either April 28 or May 5, according to sources that spoke with Radio-Canada.
Carney is making the call against a backdrop of public opinion polls that have placed the Liberal Party just out front in the coming contest.
According to CBC's Poll Tracker, the Liberals led by Carney are leading with 37.7 per cent, compared to Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives who stand just below that at 37.4 per cent support.
- What do you want to know about the upcoming federal election? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca
While close in the popular vote, the Liberal voter base is spread more evenly across the country, which gives them a distinct advantage in the number of seats they could win over the Conservatives who have concentrated support in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The CBC Poll Tracker suggests that if a vote were to take place now, the Liberals could secure 176 seats to the Conservatives 133.
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Carney cancels planned hike to capital gains tax
Lifetime exemption limit still being raised to $1.25M, prime minister says
Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will cancel the proposed hike to the amount of capital gains that are subject to tax.
In a statement, the Liberal government said that cancelling the increase will help small businesses and boost private investment that will create jobs.
"Cancelling the hike in capital gains tax will catalyze investment across our communities and incentivize builders, innovators and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in Canada," Carney said in a statement.
The statement also said the government will maintain its increase in the lifetime capital gains exemption limit to $1.25 million "on the sale of small business shares and farming and fishing property."
The Liberal government said it will introduce legislation to formalize changes to the exemption limit "in due course."
The decision to axe the increase follows former prime minister Justin Trudeau's decision to defer it until New Year's Day 2026.
The increase to the share of taxable capital gains was first announced in the 2024 federal budget.
A capital gain is the difference between the cost of an asset — such as an investment property, a stock or a mutual fund — and its sale price.
Right now, only half of capital gains are taxable. Those capital gains are added to a person's income and are taxed at their marginal income tax rate.
Had the changes gone through, individuals with annual capital gains over $250,000 would have had two-thirds of those gains taxed. Two-thirds of all capital gains earned by corporations and trusts would also have been taxed.
Doctors, businesses, Conservatives opposed tax
The legislation to implement the change was still being debated when Parliament was prorogued.
The proposed capital gains changes, like all bills that had yet to receive royal assent, died on the order paper. They would have to be reintroduced at the next session of Parliament as if they never existed.
Since it was first announced, a number of groups have expressed concerns about the capital gains changes.
The Conservatives said they would result in "a tax on health care, home-building, small businesses, farmers and people's retirements."
Doctors also opposed the change, saying it could undermine efforts to recruit and retain physicians.
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has said doctors will be hit particularly hard by the hike because they often incorporate their medical practices and invest for their retirements through their corporations.
Canada is facing a severe doctor shortage. An estimated 6.5 million Canadians are going without access to primary care as family physicians retire and medical schools struggle to recruit new residents.
A coalition of Canadian agricultural associations also signed a letter asking the federal government to abandon the change to the capital gains tax, among other measures.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said that 72 per cent of its members oppose the change and believe it would harm investment.
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Liberals lagging other parties in candidates as election call could be days away
No party has a full slate yet, with writ likely to be dropped by the end of the week
With a federal election call likely in a matter of days, no political party has nominated candidates to all 343 ridings, with Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals behind all the other national parties.
The Conservatives lead the pack, with 258 out of 343 ridings filled as of last week.
The NDP is in second place, with 217 candidates ready as of Tuesday.
In third place, the Green Party has nominated 208 candidates.
The Liberal Party is at 185.
When Canada could have an electionThe Bloc Québécois, which only runs candidates in Quebec, has names for 53 of the province's 78 ridings. Though only 11 were officially nominated as of Tuesday, the party points out 29 of its current 33 MPs have announced they plan to run again, and some 16 other people have been announced as candidates.
"It's important to remember that the Liberals just went through a leadership campaign and many MPs, before the Liberal leadership contest and before the resignation of Mr. Trudeau, were clearly dissatisfied with their leader and some threatened to walk out the door," said Cristine De Clercy, a political science professor at Trent University.
De Clercy pointed out Carney's new leadership, along with the rising fortunes for Liberals in the polls, may change the calculus for some potential candidates.
"It's difficult to recruit candidates when you're not sure if the incumbent is leaving or not," she said.
But as it looked like Carney would win the leadership race, some incumbents who had previously announced they were not running changed course, such as Industry Minister Anita Anand and Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long.
Still, Melanee Thomas, a professor of political science at the University of Calgary, said the number of Liberal nominees is unusually low this close to a campaign.
"It is just about half of the candidates that they need," she said. "That's got to get up there before they drop the writ."
Thomas, who ran for the NDP in 2004 and 2006 under Jack Layton, also said it is little surprise the Conservatives are ahead of everyone else.
"They've been agitating for an election for months," she said.
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives have the most nominees in place ahead of a possible snap election this spring. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
De Clercy agreed, saying the Conservatives "clearly are on the ball."
Thomas said parties which are preoccupied with meeting gender and diversity quotas to better represent Canadian demographics tend to have longer nomination periods. She pointed to the NDP's constitution having such obligations.
Little time for vetting before snap election
Both Thomas and De Clercy said one hazard for all parties is vetting candidates too quickly.
De Clercy said there's the risk that candidates have made online posts, potentially dating back to when they were teenagers, that could become a problem for the party if they were to resurface during the campaign.
Rushing to fill the vacant spots "leaves parties and candidates vulnerable to gaffes," Thomas agreed.
Though Parliament is officially prorogued until March 24, Carney is an unelected prime minister, with no seat in the House.
Since his victory in the Liberal leadership race last week, many senior elected officials have said Canadians need a government with a strong mandate to lead the country amid the economic threats represented by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"The prime minister is committed to the electoral process," Anand told CBC's Power and Politics host David Cochrane on Monday.
"I know the prime minister would like to have a seat in the House of Commons, and we would very much like to see him sitting there with us as the prime minister of this country," she said.
The opposition parties have threatened to vote down the Liberal government in a non-confidence motion if Parliament resumes before an election.
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Kent MacDonald acclaimed as federal Liberal candidate in P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding
Lawrence MacAulay, who isn't running again, had held Cardigan for the past 36 years
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the federal Liberals have a new candidate in eastern P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding.
Kent MacDonald, a seventh-generation dairy farmer from Little Pond, was acclaimed as the party's candidate for the riding this week.
"The Liberal party's platform is what I believe in," MacDonald is quoted as saying in a news release.
"The federal Liberals have put millions into our communities through school lunch programs, health care for Island seniors, and low-interest loans for housing. This is supporting families and working people."
MacDonald will look to hold the seat for the Liberals after Lawrence MacAulay announced he would not seek re-election after a 36-year political career and 11 straight election wins in Cardigan.
MacDonald is a past director, vice-chair and chair of Dairy Farmers of P.E.I., and was a director and vice-chair of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture.
He is the current president of Pondsedge Farms, his family's dairy and beef operation.
The race to succeed MacAulay as Cardigan's MP also includes Conservative nominee James Aylward, a former MLA and provincial cabinet minister; and former educator Lynn Thiele, who's running for the NDP. Lauchlan Taylor is the candidate for the People's Party of Canada.
On Tuesday, the Green Party of Canada told CBC News that it has candidates for three of the four federal ridings on P.E.I. and intends to announce their names "later this week or at the beginning of next week."
The next federal election is supposed to be held on Oct. 20 under Canada's fixed election date system.
However, it is widely expected to be triggered this spring — by the minority Liberal government under new Prime Minister Mark Carney calling a snap general election, or by the opposition parties voting against a motion on a supply bill or a specific motion of no confidence.
Transport Minister Anita Anand to reverse course and seek re-election: sources
Oakville MP announced last month she would not run again
Transport Minister Anita Anand is set to reverse her decision to retire from politics and announce she will seek re-election, CBC News has learned.
Anand is expected to make the announcement on Friday at an event with Mark Carney, according to sources with knowledge of the plans who were not authorized to speak publicly.
Carney, a former central banker in Canada and the U.K., is widely seen as the front-runner to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Anand and her office did not respond to requests for comment. Carney's campaign also did not respond to a request for comment.
Anand, who had been seen as a possible Liberal leadership candidate, announced on Jan. 11 she would both not seek the party leadership and not run in the upcoming federal election.
She said in a statement posted to social media at the time that she has been "deeply honoured and humbled to serve as Oakville's member of Parliament and as member of cabinet."
But Liberal fortunes shifted dramatically in the weeks since that announcement. The return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House and Trudeau's announcement that he would step down as prime minister have jolted Liberal support in a string of public opinion polls.
The governing party now finds itself statistically tied with the Conservatives in some polls, after years of trailing by double digits and by more than 20 points in recent months.
Carney consistently polls better than his leadership rivals. He also has more cabinet and caucus endorsements than any other candidate and has raised more money from more donors.
Anand's decision would give the Liberals an incumbent in a key riding in a battleground region in Ontario. The Oakville MP has held several cabinet portfolios since she was elected in 2019. Anand was first minister of public services and procurement, then became the second woman ever to serve as minister of national defence.
Anand is not the first Liberal MP cabinet minister to change her mind about seeking re-election.
Housing Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith announced last year that he would not seek re-election, but he changed course when he was appointed to cabinet in January.
And New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, who had said he would not run again, has also said he would seek re-election if Carney wins the leadership. Long was among the first caucus members to publicly call for Trudeau's resignation.
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Carney takes power, calling it a 'solemn duty' to serve as PM in a time of crisis
New prime minister puts his stamp on government with reworked cabinet
Prime Minister Mark Carney made his first major move as the country's head of government on Friday by appointing a cabinet filled with some new faces and old hands in new roles, as he tries to put his own stamp on the Liberal brand.
The Justin Trudeau era is officially over after nine-plus years; the Carney one has just begun, and the new prime minister's cabinet picks reflect that transfer of power.
"It is a solemn duty to serve as prime minister at this time of great consequence," Carney told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall.
Eighteen Trudeau government cabinet ministers are not returning to cabinet, either because they have decided not to run in the next election or because Carney replaced them with someone else as he put together a much smaller cabinet.
Carney dropped some Trudeau stalwarts altogether from this new 24-member transition cabinet, including Jean-Yves Duclos, Karina Gould, Mark Holland, Ahmed Hussen, Marc Miller and Diane Lebouthillier, while others, like new Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, have been demoted to arguably more junior roles.
He's also dropped Freeland's old job, deputy prime minister — there won't be one in this ministry.
Prime
Minister Mark Carney, front fourth from left, poses with members of the
newly sworn-in Liberal cabinet following a ceremony at Rideau Hall in
Ottawa on Friday. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
There's still considerable overlap with Trudeau's last cabinet. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly stays where she is, as does Jonathan Wilkinson at Natural Resources, and Dominic LeBlanc will retain the Canada-U.S. file as Carney's new international trade minister.
Carney's team says that's because he wants some continuity in key files as the country grapples with a series of acute challenges.
Promotions, demotions
François-Philippe Champagne, who has also been active on Canada's plan to fight back against U.S. President Donald Trump, gets a promotion and will become Carney's finance minister. Anita Anand takes over Champagne's old job as minister of innovation, science and industry.
Steven Guilbeault, an ardent defender of the carbon tax, is out as the environment minister and will take on a different job: minister of Canadian culture and identity. He will also serve as Carney's Quebec lieutenant.
Some new ministers who were only sworn in late last year after Freeland's shock resignation are also staying on, including Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Nate Erskine-Smith as housing minister.
Three new faces are stepping into the spotlight as new cabinet ministers. London-area MP Arielle Kayabaga becomes the government House leader, Toronto MP Ali Ehsassi is the new public services and procurement minister and Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois, who led the charge against some aspects of the carbon tax, will serve as the agriculture minister.
Carney himself, of course, never sat in Trudeau's cabinet, which was part of his appeal to some Liberal voters who wanted a clean break from the past.
Chrystia
Freeland is congratulated by Prime Minister Mark Carney after being
sworn in as the minister of transport and internal trade during a
swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
Carney's smaller cabinet is not perfectly gender equal as it was under Trudeau — there are 13 men including Carney and 11 women — and some provinces don't have a minister around the table, including Alberta, P.E.I. and Saskatchewan.
The cabinet rebrand is Carney's chance to show the voting public he's his own man, especially as the opposition Conservatives try to paint his team as the new face of the "Trudeau-Carney Liberals" to tie the new prime minister to the old one.
Carney gestures after his new cabinet members were sworn in at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday,. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)
Speaking after the swearing-in ceremony, Carney said he's assembled something of a wartime cabinet, with a smaller team of what he described as top-tier talent who can help "our nation in the midst of this crisis" as it stares down an annexationist U.S. president.
"Canada's new government is focused on things that matter most to Canadians — more higher-paying jobs, improving affordability and making Canada more secure," he said. "Canada will be action-oriented to meet the moment."
He signalled there will be a break from some Liberal policies of the recent past, saying the country should expect a formal order to dismantle the consumer carbon tax later this afternoon.
Carney hints at removing carbon tax ‘by end of the day’Carney said, on his watch, "the government will spend less so Canada can invest more," a reference to his campaign promise to curb the growth of government and follow fiscal prudence.
Carney said he wants to build more homes, make Canada an energy superpower, dismantle internal trade barriers and build new trade corridors to "reliable partners."
To that end, Carney said he's accepted invitations from the leaders of France and the U.K. to meet right away to discuss improving trade and security ties.
He justified the travel before an expected election as a way to urgently diversify trade, as Canada grapples with a new dynamic in the U.S. with Trump levying punishing tariffs on Canadian goods while promising even more to come.
Carney also called Trump's 51st state taunts "crazy. That's all you can say."
"We will never, ever — in any way, shape or form — be part of the United States," he said.
Carney also took a swipe at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, saying his opponent is negative about everything.
"We will relentlessly pursue this positive agenda because Canadians know that negativity isn't strength," he said. "Negativity won't bring down the price of groceries. Negativity won't win a trade war."
'Carney thinks Canadians are stupid,' Poilievre says
Poilievre said there's nothing really different between Carney and Trudeau given many of "Carbon Tax Carney's" ministers were also in the most recent Trudeau cabinet.
He said the last Liberal government hiked the carbon tax, doubled the national debt, caused food bank usage and housing prices to spike — and another vote for that party would deliver more of the same.
"Mark Carney thinks Canadians are stupid. He thinks 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 term," Poilievre told reporters.
"It's the same Liberal gang and same Liberal agenda," he said.
Asked about recent public opinion polling that shows the Conservatives are slumping while the Carney-led Liberals are on the upswing, Poilievre said Canadians can't afford another Liberal term and that's the message he will make on the campaign trail.
He said he doesn't trust Carney's commitment to do away with the consumer carbon tax, suggesting it could come back at some point if the Liberals win again.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was disappointed there's no cabinet ministers with titles that explicitly references women's rights, diversity and inclusion.
While Steven MacKinnon is Carney's "jobs" minister, Singh said he was concerned there's no "labour" minister.
Singh said that "really sends a message that he doesn't value labour at a time when workers are at a crossroads," he said.
"A Mark Carney government is a race to the right between Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre, and it's a race where workers lose. It's a race where people lose," Singh said.
Carney has a very narrow window before an expected federal election to convince Canadians he has the best plan for the country as it stares down Trump's 51st state taunts and tariff threats — or he risks leading one of the shortest governments in history.
Carney has touted his experience as a central banker through the Great Recession — and, after being poached by the Bank of England, Brexit — as proof he's the best choice for the tumultuous times ahead.
But he has also faced pointed questions about his business experience — Brookfield, a company he chaired, moved its head office from Toronto to New York — and whether he's serious about dumping the consumer carbon tax, a policy the Conservatives have made the centrepiece of their campaign to unseat the Liberals.
It's widely believed Carney will call an election before March 24, when Parliament is scheduled to return from prorogation, meaning Canadians would vote in late April or early May.
While only a small amount of polling has been conducted since Carney easily beat his opponents to win at Sunday's Liberal leadership race, the CBC Poll Tracker suggests the gap between the Conservatives and Liberals is closing.
Here's the full list of cabinet ministers:
- Mark Carney: Prime Minister.
- Dominic LeBlanc: International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the King's Privy Council for Canada.
- Mélanie Joly: Foreign Affairs and International Development.
- François-Philippe Champagne: Finance.
- Anita Anand: Innovation, Science and Industry.
- Bill Blair: National Defence.
- Patty Hajdu: Indigenous Services.
- Jonathan Wilkinson: Energy and Natural Resources.
- Ginette Petitpas Taylor: President of the Treasury Board.
- Steven Guilbeault: Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant.
- Chrystia Freeland: Transport and Internal Trade.
- Kamal Khera: Health.
- Gary Anandasangaree: Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
- Rechie Valdez: Chief Government Whip.
- Steven MacKinnon: Jobs and Families.
- David McGuinty: Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
- Terry Duguid: Environment and Climate Change.
- Nate Erskine-Smith: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
- Rachel Bendayan: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
- Élisabeth Brière: Veterans Affairs and responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Joanne Thompson: Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
- Arielle Kayabaga: Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Minister of Democratic Institutions.
- Kody Blois: Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development.
- Ali Ehsassi: Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement.
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Who are the new faces in Carney's cabinet? Who's on their way out?
Carney's cabinet will consist of 24 members, down from the 39 members who made up Trudeau's final cabinet
Prime Minister Mark Carney is taking over from Justin Trudeau with a slimmer front bench.
Carney will have a 24-member cabinet compared to Trudeau's most recent ministry, which included 39 members.
"We have new ministers with new ideas, ready to respond to new threats and seize new opportunities," Carney said during a news conference Friday.
"Our leaner cabinet will focus on two priorities in particular. First, protecting Canadian workers and their families in the face of unjustified foreign trade actions. And second, growing this great country by putting more money in Canadians' pockets by ensuring the government spends less so Canada can invest more," the new prime minister pledged.
FULL SPEECH | PM Carney delivers first speech after being sworn in at Rideau HallA number of Carney's cabinet ministers have either kept the jobs they held under Trudeau or are taking on a new role. But the new prime minister is bringing on a few new faces as well.
To slim out his front bench, Carney also had to drop a number of MPs from cabinet — including some longtime Trudeau ministers.
Carney dropped a number of ministers who backed Liberal leadership rivals, but he cut an equal amount of ministers who endorsed his own campaign.
Here's a breakdown of the new members of cabinet and those who won't be returning.
The new faces
Kody Blois
Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois is taking on the role of agriculture minister and minister responsible for rural economic development.
Blois has been an MP since winning a seat in the 2019 election. His riding of Kings-Hants had previously been held by former cabinet minister Scott Brison.
Although he previously hadn't been in cabinet, he held some key roles in Parliament, chairing multiple committees and briefing serving as a parliamentary secretary.
Blois had also previously been the chair of the Liberal's Atlantic caucus. He had lobbied Trudeau back in 2023 to carve out a carbon tax exemption on home heating oil.
Kody
Blois is sworn in as the minister of agriculture and agri-food and
rural economic development during a swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall
in Ottawa on Friday. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Ali Ehsassi
Toronto MP Ali Ehsassi is the new procurement minister while taking on a newly created role of "minister of government transformation."
This is Ehsassi's first ministerial role, though he's been an MP since 2015. He has been the chair for a few House committees and had been Navdeep Bains's parliamentary secretary when he was minister of industry.
Ehsassi had been vocally calling for a caucus vote on Trudeau's leadership well before the now former prime minister stepped down.
Ali Ehsassi has been sworn in as minister of public services and procurement. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press)
Arielle Kayabaga
Arielle Kayabaga, the MP for London-West, has been named the new government House leader — a role previously held by Liberal leadership candidate Karina Gould.
Kayabaga is a relatively new MP, having only won her seat in the last federal election in 2021.
With an election looming, all ministers could potentially have a limited time in their new roles. But given that the House leader is responsible for managing legislative affairs, Kayabaga will have almost no influence in that job before Canada heads to the polls — Carney is largely expected to call an election before the House is set to return on March 24.
Arielle Kayabaga is sworn in as the House leader during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Who's out
Mark Holland
Serving most recently as minister of health, Mark Holland held a few cabinet positions in Trudeau's government.
Holland had been an MP prior to Trudeau taking over the leadership of the party, holding a seat for the former riding of Ajax-Pickering from 2004 until 2011. He would be re-elected in 2015.
Before taking on the health portfolio, he had been a parliamentary secretary, government whip and government House leader on Trudeau's front bench.
Former minister of health Mark Holland announced Thursday that he wouldn't be seeking re-election. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Holland had endorsed Chrystia Freeland in the leadership race. He announced Thursday evening that he wouldn't be seeking re-election.
"I have been so lucky to work with the absolute best, most wonderful people," he wrote in a social media post, announcing his decision.
"I will always be at your side; I will just now do it out of office as I will not be running in the next election. It's time to go home."
Diane Lebouthillier
Diane Lebouthillier had been a member of Trudeau's cabinet since the Liberals won their first election under the former leader in 2015.
The Quebec MP spent most of her time in cabinet as minister for national revenue. She was shuffled to the fisheries and oceans portfolio in 2023.
Lebouthillier has been an MP since 2015 and intends to run again in the next election. She endorsed Freeland in the leadership contest.
Diane Lebouthillier had been part of Trudeau's cabinet since 2015. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Marc Miller
A close personal friend of Trudeau, Marc Miller has been an MP since 2015 and has held a few different cabinet positions since 2019.
The Montreal MP had most recently been immigration minister, after serving as Crown-Indigenous relations minister and minister for Indigenous services before that.
As immigration minister, Miller was tasked with handling what has become a fairly contentious file in recent years.
Miller backed Carney in the leadership race and intends to run in the next election.
Former minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship Marc Miller is a close friend of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
Jean-Yves Duclos
Like Lebouthillier, Jean-Yves Duclos had been in Trudeau's cabinet from the start but has now been relegated to the backbench by Carney.
The Quebec MP held four cabinet positions since 2015: procurement, health, treasury board and families and social development.
Duclos had been one of the more vocal supporters in Trudeau's cabinet when caucus began raising questions about the latter's leadership back in the fall.
Duclos endorsed Carney's leadership bid. He is slated to run again in his Quebec City riding.
Quebec MP Jean-Yves Duclos held multiple cabinet roles in the Trudeau government. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Ahmed Hussen
Toronto MP Ahmed Hussen finds himself on the backbench after serving in Trudeau's cabinet since 2017.
Hussen held four portfolios during his time in cabinet: immigration, families and social development, housing and international development.
Hussen had endorsed Freeland in the leadership race. He is running for re-election.
Ahmed Hussen had been a cabinet minister since 2017. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Ya'ara Saks
Another Toronto MP, Ya'ara Saks has only been a cabinet minister (and MP) for a few years.
Saks won her seat in a 2020 byelection and was sworn in as minister of mental health and addictions during a cabinet shuffle in 2023. That is the only cabinet post she has held.
Saks endorsed Gould for the leadership following her performance in the debates. She is seeking re-election.
Ya’ara Saks was a relative newcomer to Trudeau's cabinet, having been sworn in in 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Jenna Sudds
Like Saks, Sudds is a relative newcomer to Trudeau's cabinet who is returning to the backbench under Carney.
The Ottawa MP won her seat in the 2021 election and became minister of families, children and social development in the 2023 shuffle.
Sudds backed Carney's leadership bid and she is running again in the next election.
Ottawa MP Jenna Sudds had served as minister of families, children and social development since 2023. (Radio-Canada)
Terry Beech
Giving Terry Beech the boot from cabinet may have been a symbolic move for Carney in his attempts to trim down the Liberal front benches.
The B.C. MP was sworn into cabinet in 2023 in a newly created role of minister of citizens' services. At the time, it wasn't entirely clear what the new role would cover — though it seems possible that some of those responsibilities will now fall to Ehsassi.
Beech endorsed Freeland in the leadership campaign and is expected to seek re-election.
B.C. MP Terry Beech was tapped as the first ever minister of citizens' services in 2023. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
Ruby Sahota
Ruby Sahota has been an MP since 2015, but her time in cabinet has been incredibly short.
The Brampton, Ont., MP was named minister of democratic institutions in December after Freeland's resignation forced Trudeau to quickly shuffle his cabinet.
Sahota endorsed Carney in the leadership race. She slated to seek re-election.
Ruby Sahota was sworn in as minister of democratic institutions on Dec.20, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Darren Fisher
Like Sahota, Nova Scotia MP Darren Fisher had only been a cabinet minister for a few months.
Fisher took on the role of minister of veteran affairs in Trudeau's cabinet shuffle in December.
Fisher endorsed Carney's leadership bid. He is seeking re-election this year.
Nova Scotia MP Darren Fisher had only been a cabinet minister for a few months (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
A number of MPs who held cabinet positions up until Friday had previously indicated that they would not be seeking re-election. They are: Gudie Hutchings from Newfoundland and Labrador; Lawrence MacAulay from P.E.I.; Pascale St-Onge from Quebec; Marci Ien, Mary Ng and Arif Virani from Ontario; and Harjit Sajjan from B.C.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
No Island MPs in Carney's cabinet, but it does have someone from P.E.I.
Most recent Islander in cabinet was Lawrence MacAulay, who isn't running again.
For the first time in many decades, Prince Edward Island does not have an MP serving in a federal cabinet.
A list of ministers released as Prime Minister Mark Carney was being sworn in did not include any of the province's four Liberal MPs: Lawrence MacAulay (Cardigan), Sean Casey (Charlottetown), Bobby Morrissey (Egmont) and Heath MacDonald (Malpeque).
MacAulay had been in the cabinets of former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Justin Trudeau, but announced last month that he would not be running again when the next federal election is held.
A campaign is likely to be triggered within weeks, with an election date in late April or early May.
No MPs from Alberta were named to Carney's cabinet either, though two Liberals represent ridings there: Randy Boissonnault in Edmonton Centre and George Chahal in Calgary Skyview. Saskatchewan also does not have representation; all of its 14 MPs are Conservative.
Carney had been highly expected to trim his cabinet from the 37 MPs who were in Trudeau's cabinet, including the prime minister himself.
Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall, he compared his team to a wartime cabinet of what he called top-tier talent to help "our nation in the midst of this crisis," the trade war sparked by United States President Donald Trump.
Though no MPs elected from Prince Edward Island are in Carney's 24-member cabinet, there is some Island content.
Newly named Minister of Jobs and Family Steven MacKinnon represents the Quebec riding of Gatineau, but was born in Charlottetown and still has relatives on the Island.
He had most recently been Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour under Trudeau.
MacKinnon says he supports Carney’s bid for Liberal leadershipMacKinnon was an early supporter of Carney's Liberal leadership campaign after Trudeau said in January that he was stepping down. Carney won the leadership on March 9 with nearly 86 per cent of the votes cast.
All four Prince Edward Island MPs were Carney supporters as well.
Conservative politicians in P.E.I. not impressed
P.E.I. candidates nominated to run for the Opposition Conservatives in the approaching election were quick to criticize the lack of representation, in a joint statement posted on Malpeque candidate Jamie Fox's Facebook page.
"Mark Carney's newly unveiled Liberal cabinet has made one thing clear: he doesn't care about P.E.I.," it said in part.
Carney has decided that Islanders don't deserve a seat at the table.
— Statement on Conservative candidate Jamie Fox's Facebook page
"In the middle of a trade war, and despite P.E.I.'s economy being deeply tied to trade with the United States — accounting for 25 per cent of our GDP — Carney has decided that Islanders don't deserve a seat at the table."
The statement also called the cabinet's composition "a damning indictment of the current Liberal MPs from P.E.I., who have been overlooked and deemed unfit to serve as ministers. Islanders put their trust in them to be a voice in Ottawa, but Mark Carney has made it clear: They don't have his confidence."
Past cabinet ministers
In Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper's government, former Egmont MP Gail Shea was the cabinet minister responsible for Prince Edward Island.
Former Malpeque MP Wayne Easter also spent time in cabinet under Chrétien.
Under former prime minister Brian Mulroney, Tom MacMillan, who represented the riding of Hillsborough, was for a time the Prince Edward Island rep in cabinet.
Other 20th-century cabinet ministers from P.E.I. shown on the Parliament of Canada website included Joe McGuire, Daniel J. MacDonald, David MacDonald, W. Bennett Campbell, John Alexander Macdonald, John Angus LacLean, Cyrus Macmillan, James Layton Ralston, John Ewen Sinclair, and John Watson MacNaught.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Subject: RE: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for recent message to Member of Parliament for Bow River, Martin Shields. MP Shields appreciates hearing about issues or concerns from Canadians and residents of Bow River.
Given the volume of incoming correspondence, priority response is given to constituent’s personal emails. If you have not already done so, please provide your home mailing address and postal code by return email, to confirm your Bow River riding address.
If your concern is relevant to a federal department and requires an inquiry, you will be contacted shortly for assistance by someone in our office to discuss next steps. You are welcome to contact our office by phone at 1-844-241-0020. Proof of address in Bow River is required.
If
Martin Shields is not your Member of Parliament, you can locate the
contact information for your representative in the House of Commons at
https://ourcommons.ca/Members/
If your concern is Provincial in nature, please contact your elected MLA. You can locate the contact information for your representative in the Legislative Assembly at Members of the Legislative Assembly.
If your concern is Municipal in nature, please contact the Municipality that you reside in.
If you are unsure on who to address your concern to, please see our helpful “"Who Does What"” page on our website.
To stay informed on MP Shields’ work in the Riding, and in the House of Commons, visit his website to subscribe to his newsletter; and follow Martin on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Sincerely,
|
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From the Office of Martin Shields Member of Parliament for Bow River (403) 361-2980 Click Here to Subscribe to my Newsletter
|
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Subject: Fwd: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: catharine.tunney <catharine.tunney@cbc.ca>, Keean Bexte <Contact@thecountersignal.com>, <ezra@rebelmedia.com>, David.Akin <David.Akin@globalnews.ca>, Chrystia.Freeland <Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca>, elizabeth.may <elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: Gerald.Soroka <Gerald.Soroka@parl.gc.ca>, mark.holland <mark.holland@parl.gc.ca>, marci.ien <marci.ien@parl.gc.ca>, jake.stewart <jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca>, lawrence.macaulay <lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca>, <Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca>, <jennifer.oconnell@parl.gc.ca>, mary.ng <mary.ng@parl.gc.ca>, <Arif.Virani@parl.gc.ca>, Martin.Shields <Martin.Shields@parl.gc.ca>, <Soraya.MartinezFerrada@parl.gc.ca>, Kristina.Michaud <Kristina.Michaud@parl.gc.ca>, Jenica.Atwin <Jenica.Atwin@parl.gc.ca>, harjit.sajjan <harjit.sajjan@parl.gc.ca>, <earl.dreeshen@parl.gc.ca>, <Yvonne.Jones@parl.gc.ca>, <Gudie.Hutchings@parl.gc.ca>, <Churence.Rogers@parl.gc.ca>, Sean.Fraser <Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca>, <Brenda.Shanahan@parl.gc.ca>, <Stephane.Bergeron@parl.gc.ca>, <Louise.Chabot@parl.gc.ca>, <Marie-Claude.Bibeau@parl.gc.ca>, Diane.Lebouthillier <Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca>
From: Arya, Chandra - M.P. <Chandra.Arya@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Hello,
Thanks for your email. Please note that we receive a very high volume of emails and our first priority is to respond to inquiries from residents of Nepean.
For us to respond to your email, if you have not already done so, please provide your full name, mailing address including postal code, and phone number and the best time of day to reach you, using the same subject line as in your original email.
In most cases, form emails and emails which are cc’ed and forwarded will not receive a response due to the extraordinary number of emails we receive.
Emails which are from anonymous senders and emails which abusive/offensive, disrespectful with unparliamentary language will not receive a response.
Office of Chandra Arya
Member of Parliament/Député – Nepean
Working hard for you
www.Facebook.com/
Twitter: @AryaCanada
------------------------------
Bonjour,
Merci d'avoir communiqué avec nous. Veuillez noter que nous recevons un volume élevé de courriels et que notre priorité est de répondre aux demandes des résidents de Nepean.
Pour que nous puissions répondre à votre courriel, si vous ne l'avez pas déjà fait, veuillez indiquer votre nom complet, votre adresse postale, y compris le code postal, et votre numéro de téléphone, ainsi que le meilleur moment de la journée pour vous joindre, en utilisant la même ligne d'objet que dans votre courriel original.
Dans la plupart des cas, les formulaires de courriels et les courriels qui sont envoyés en copie ou transférés ne recevront pas de réponse en raison du nombre élevé de courriels que nous recevons.
Les courriels provenant d'expéditeurs anonymes et les courriels abusifs, insultants, irrespectueux ou rédigés dans un langage non parlementaire ne recevront pas de réponse.
Bureau de Chandra Arya
Député / Member of Parliament – Nepean
Je travaille sans relâche pour vous
www.Facebook.com/
From: Battiste, Jaime - M.P. <Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the office of Jaime Battiste, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria.
This inbox receives an extremely high volume of incoming correspondence, and we will respond as soon as we can. Priority will always be given to constituents in Sydney-Victoria.
To help us address your concerns more quickly, please include in your email:
· Your full name;
· Address and/or postal code;
· Telephone number (if necessary); and
· The best time of day to reach you.
Thank you for reaching out.
Sincerely,
Office of Jaime Battiste
Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice et procureur
général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
From: Minister of Finance / Ministre des Finances <minister-ministre@fin.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Subject: Chandra Arya and Mark Carney's Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino should check their email
To: Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, <Chandra.Arya@parl.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, <ps.ministerofpublicsafety-ministredelasecuritepublique.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca>, fin.minfinance-financemin.fin <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>, rfife <rfife@globeandmail.com>, justin.trudeau <justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, jagmeet.singh <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>, Donald Trump Jr. <donjr@email.donjr.com>, <Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: pierre.poilievre <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>
From: Arya, Chandra - M.P. <Chandra.Arya@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 10:23 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Trudeau Invoking the Emergency Act and Freeland defending her liberal democracy byway of her bankster buddies
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Hello,
Thank you for emailing the Office of Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament for Nepean. Please note that we receive a high volume of emails and our first priority is to respond to inquiries from residents of Nepean.
If you have not already done so, please provide your full name, mailing address including postal code, and phone number and the best time of day to reach you, using the same subject line as in your original email. This will help us respond more quickly.
Thank you for your patience as we respond to a large number of messages. In most cases, form letters and anonymous, cc'd, and forwarded items will not receive a response.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, our constituency office is currently closed to the public. However, our team remains available to help you with your federal inquiries at 613-825-5505 or Chandra.Arya@parl.gc.ca.
To get the latest information, follow developments and/or learn about new measures and directives concerning COVID-19, we invite you to consult these links:
Chandra Arya
Member of Parliament for Nepean
Working hard for you
240 Kennevale Drive, Suite 201, Nepean, ON K2J 6B6
Tel.: 613-825-5505
www.Facebook.com/
Twitter: @AryaCanada
------------------------------
Merci d'avoir communiqué avec nous. Veuillez noter que nous recevons un volume élevé de courriels et que notre première priorité est de répondre aux demandes des résidents de Nepean.
Si vous ne l'avez pas déjà fait, veuillez fournir votre nom complet, votre adresse postale y compris le code postale, et votre numéro de téléphone ainsi que le meilleur moment de la journée pour vous joindre, en utilisant la même ligne d'objet que dans votre e-mail d'origine. Cela nous aidera à répondre plus rapidement.
Nous vous remercions de votre patience car nous répondons à un volume élevé de courriels. Dans la plupart des cas, les lettres types et les courriels anonymes, copies conformes et transférés ne recevront pas de réponse.
Pour éviter la propagation du COVID-19, notre bureau de circonscription est actuellement fermé au public. Cependant, notre équipe reste disponible pour vous aider avec vos demandes de renseignements fédéraux au 613-825-5505 ou à Chandra.Arya@parl.gc.ca.
Pour obtenir les dernières informations, suivre les développements et / ou prendre connaissance des nouvelles mesures et directives concernant le COVID-19, nous vous invitons à consulter ces liens :
Organisation mondiale de la santé
Chandra Arya
Député de Nepean
Je travaille sans relâche pour vous
240, promenade Kennevale, pièce 201, Nepean (ON) K2J 6B6
Tel. : 613-825-5505
www.Facebook.com/
Twitter: @AryaCanada
From: Mendicino, Marco - M.P. <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 3:30 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Trudeau Invoking the Emergency Act and Freeland defending her liberal democracy byway of her bankster buddies
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the constituency office of the Hon. Marco Mendicino, P.C., M.P. for Eglinton—Lawrence.
Please be advised that our office has the capacity to assist with requests within Eglinton—Lawrence only and we prioritize correspondence from residents.
If you reside outside the riding and require assistance, you can contact
your local Member of Parliament by entering your postal code here:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/
If you are a resident of Eglinton—Lawrence and require assistance continue reading below.
· For assistance with casework, we require your full name, phone number, address and postal code to proceed.
· For non-ministerial meeting requests, we need to know the nature of the meeting and we will respond back with possible options.
· For media requests, the Press Secretary will get back to you.
To contact Public Safety Canada directly, please visit:
https://www.publicsafety.gc.
To contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada directly, please email minister@cic.gc.ca or phone 613-954-1064.
For assistance with the situation in Afghanistan, please continue reading.
If you and your family require assistance regarding the rapidly evolving
situation in Afghanistan, detailed information on Canada’s special
measures to support Afghan nationals is available here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/
For Afghans who assisted the Government of Canada, please contact: Canada-Afghanistan@
For questions on how Afghan nationals may reunite with their families in
Canada, or information on the humanitarian program to resettle Afghans
outside of Afghanistan, please contact: IRCC.SituationAfghanistan.
You may also call 1-613-321-4243 from Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (ET).
For Canadians in need of consular assistance in Afghanistan, please contact Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at:
· Phone: 613-996-8885
· Email: sos@international.gc.ca
· SMS: 613-686-3658
Liberals revoke Chandra Arya's nomination, after removing him from leadership race
National campaign director informed Arya in letter, but provided no reason
Chandra Arya, a Liberal backbench MP whose short-lived bid to replace Justin Trudeau as leader was cut short by the party, says he has been dropped as the candidate for the Ottawa riding of Nepean.
The 62-year-old has represented the riding since 2015.
National campaign director Andrew Bevan informed Arya of the decision in a letter Thursday, just days before an expected election call.
The move to remove him comes almost two months after the party also told Arya it would not accept him as a candidate for the party leadership.
Arya had already been nominated, but the letter says new information obtained by the party's "green light committee" led the campaign co-chair to recommend that his "status as a candidate" be revoked.
Bevan does not include any details about the new information.
Arya, who shared the letter on his Facebook page, says being an MP was the "responsibility of my life."
Liberals reject candidacy
"While this news is deeply disappointing, it does not diminish the profound honour and privilege it has been to serve the people of Nepean — and all Canadians — as their Member of Parliament since 2015," he wrote.
The party also refused to provide any information when it rejected Arya's candidacy for the leadership race in January.
The decision opens an Ottawa seat as an option for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has thus far not declared which riding he intends to run in during the election.
Various Liberals have suggested Carney could run in Edmonton, where he grew up; in Toronto, where the Liberals tend to do well; or in Ottawa, where he now lives.
Carney is widely expected to visit Rideau Hall to launch the election on Sunday, for a vote on either April 28 or May 5.
With files from CBC News
| Nepean |
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Barbara Bal[8] |
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Yan Mo Maneechai[4] |
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Chandra Arya±[13 |
Once facing collapse, Liberals say they're raking in money and high-profile candidates
Former broadcaster Evan Solomon to run for Liberals in upcoming election
The once-flailing federal Liberals can now boast about attracting both donors and high-profile candidates — signs the upcoming election has been turned upside down since Prime Minister Mark Carney entered the scene.
Just a few months ago, the party appeared on the verge of collapse under Justin Trudeau. The Liberals lost a downtown Toronto stronghold, MPs and cabinet ministers were leaving politics and the party continued its slide in the polls.
Not only does CBC's Poll Tracker now suggest the Liberals are in the lead, largely at the expense of the Conservatives and NDP, the party appears to no longer be struggling to find candidates.
Party spokesperson Matteo Rossi said Thursday they are now experiencing "an unprecedented volume in individuals" wanting to run.
"Since Mark Carney's election as our new leader, over 100 individuals have expressed interest in becoming Liberal candidates," he said.
One of those candidates is former journalist Evan Solomon, who confirmed his bid on social media Thursday.
Solomon, who worked for both CBC and CTV, did not say where he will run.
Former journalist Evan Solomon is running for the federal Liberals in the upcoming election, he announced Thursday. (CBC)
"Given the urgent challenges and threats facing Canadians right now, I've decided it's the right time to come home and do whatever I can to help serve my community and country," he wrote.
The former journalist has been friendly with Carney for years.
His candidacy announcement comes nearly a decade after CBC fired the then host of Power & Politics and The House, following reports he was brokering art deals with people he interviewed as a journalist — including Carney.
At the time, CBC determined Solomon's activities were inconsistent with the organization's conflict of interest and ethics policy, as well as its journalistic standards and practices.
More recently, Solomon worked for the Eurasia Group as the publisher for GZERO Media.
Liberal rebound
Sources speaking to Radio-Canada say former Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitão will also run for the Liberals, a prominent name in a province where the party is keen to make gains.
Sources have also suggested other names are in the hopper or being courted.
Some Liberals are also now running again after earlier declaring they were bowing out of the race.
Industry Minister Anita Anand reversed her decision to retire from politics and announced she will seek re-election under Carney's leadership. Vocal New Brunswick backbencher Wayne Long also said he will run, now that Carney is leading the party.
Rossi said the party raised over $1 million in the first 72 hours after Carney became leader. The party said it had its "best-ever Q1 results for grassroots fundraising in the party's history," although it did not provide a breakdown of donations.
Mark Carney is poised to call an election: Where will he run?Carney will ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election on Sunday, according to multiple sources, triggering weeks of campaigning as the parties battle it out for Canadians' votes. Carney has been prime minister for less than a week and was only elected Liberal leader March 9.
An election campaign is expected to last between 36 and 50 days. Election day remains to be confirmed, but voters are expected to cast their ballots on either April 28 or May 5, according to sources.
So far, no political party has nominated candidates to all 343 ridings.
The Conservatives lead the pack with 279 nominated candidates as of Thursday. The Liberals trail with 192.
The Conservative Party has also amassed notable candidates: former chief of the Enoch Cree Nation Billy Morin, law enforcement officer Jessy Sahota and conservative filmmaker Aaron Gunn.
The Conservatives have recently blown other parties out of the water when it comes to fundraising. In 2024, they nearly doubled the combined donations to the Liberals and NDP by raising almost $41.8 million.
In all of 2024, the Liberals raised about $15.2 million and the NDP took in close to $6.3 million.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from David Cochrane, Olivia Stefanovich and the Canadian Press
Evan Solomon (born April 20, 1968) is a Canadian politician, columnist, political journalist, radio host, and publisher. Until 2022, he was the host of The Evan Solomon Show on Toronto-area talk radio station CFRB,[2] and a writer for Maclean's magazine. He was the host of CTV's national political news programs Power Play and Question Period.[3] In October 2022, he moved to New York City to accept a position with the Eurasia Group as publisher of GZERO Media.[4] Solomon continued with CTV News as a "special correspondent" reporting on Canadian politics and global affairs."[4]
Life and career
Solomon was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Virginia, an urban planner, and Carl Solomon, a lawyer.[5] He graduated from high school at Crescent School in Toronto, Ontario. He then graduated from McGill University in English literature and religious studies.
In 1992, Solomon co-founded Shift with Andrew Heintzman. Originally an arts and culture magazine, Shift evolved to focus particularly on technology and Internet culture. Solomon left the magazine in 1999 to promote his first novel, Crossing the Distance. Solomon has also worked as a broadcaster, hosting the series The Changemakers, FutureWorld and Hot Type for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 2004, Solomon worked as co-editor, with Heintzman, on Fueling the Future: How the Battle Over Energy is Changing Everything. He was the co-anchor with Carole MacNeil of CBC News: Sunday and CBC News: Sunday Night from 2004 to 2009.[6]
In 2009, Solomon was chosen to host the political discussion show Power & Politics on CBC News Network[7] and CBC Radio One's weekly political affairs series The House.[8]
On June 9, 2015, Solomon was fired from CBC after the Toronto Star reported that he allegedly took secret commissions for brokering art sales of items owned by his friend and art collector Bruce Bailey to people he was connected to through his CBC position.[9][10] It was reported that Solomon pocketed $300,000 from commissions from these sales.[11]
In August 2015, Sirius XM Canada announced that it had hired Solomon to host a political talk show, Everything Is Political, on its Canada Talks channel during the 2015 election. Solomon also wrote a column for Maclean's magazine for the duration of the election campaign.[12]
In 2016, Solomon announced that he was joining the Ottawa-area talk radio station CFRA.[13][14]
From 2016 to 2022, he was the host of CTV's political affairs program Question Period and was also a substitute anchor for CTV National News.[15]
In September 2017, Solomon joined CFRB in Toronto for a new national talk radio program, The Evan Solomon Show, that aired on Bell Media radio stations nationally until Solomon's departure in October 2022.[2]
In 2022, Solomon joined GZERO Media as publisher. The global affairs news site is a subsidiary of political risk analysis firm Eurasia Group, founded and run by renowned geopolitical scientist and author Ian Bremmer. [16]
Solomon continued to serve as a political and global affairs correspondent for CTV.
In March 2025, Solomon announced that he had left his roles at Eurasia Group and GZERO to run as a Liberal Party of Canada candidate in the 2025 Canadian federal election. He had resigned his position with CTV prior to Mark Carney's election as Liberal leader.[17]
https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/press-release/vassy-kapelos-to-host-cbc-news-power-and-politics
VASSY KAPELOS TO HOST CBC NEWS’ POWER AND POLITICS
CBC News today announced Vassy Kapelos as the new host of CBC News Network's flagship daily political show, POWER AND POLITICS, beginning in March 2018.
“Vassy's respectful-but-persistent interviewing style has helped her
hone an adroit ability to hold the powerful to account,” said Jennifer
McGuire, General Manager and Editor-in-Chief, CBC News. “Her experience
and enthusiasm will be invaluable as we chart a renewed course for Power
and Politics that will see it expand its digital and broadcast
audience.”
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to join this show and work with a
group of really talented people who are as politics-obsessed as me,”
said Kapelos. “I honestly grew up wanting to be the host of a daily
political talk show (I admittedly wasn’t the coolest kid) and am beyond
excited it’s happening.”
A seasoned broadcaster with extensive federal and provincial political
experience, Kapelos joins CBC from Global, where she served as Ottawa
bureau chief and host of The West Block in addition to being a regular
contributor to Global National and Global affiliates.
POWER AND POLITICS airs Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT, 5:30 p.m. NT) on CBC News Network.
Fans can engage with POWER AND POLITICS through the @PnPCBC Twitter account, as well the CBC Politics Facebook page and the CBC Politics page.
Kapelos transferred to the Ottawa bureau in 2013, becoming bureau chief in 2016 and host of The West Block in 2017 following the retirement of Tom Clark.[15] In February 2018, she left Global to join CBC News Network as the new host of Power & Politics.[15]
On November 8, 2022, CTV announced that Kapelos would become its chief political correspondent and host of two political shows, Power Play and Question Period. She replaced Evan Solomon who joined online political media outlet Gzero.[8][9] She will also host The Vassy Kapelos Show on iHeartRadio.
DAVID COCHRANE TO HOST CBC NEWS’ POWER & POLITICS, CANADA’S LEADING DAILY POLITICS NEWS PROGRAM
CBC News today announced David Cochrane as the new host of CBC News Network’s flagship daily political program, POWER & POLITICS. Familiar to audiences as a regular guest host and reporter on the show, Cochrane will now bring his political reporting experience and engaging interviewing style to the role of permanent host, effective immediately. POWER & POLITICS airs Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT, 5:30 p.m. NT) on CBC News Network.
“Power & Politics is the place where politicians are challenged to defend and explain the decisions that impact Canadians. In an increasingly polarized environment, David is the perfect choice to direct a civil, fair and balanced conversation,” said Brodie Fenlon, Editor in Chief, CBC News. “Armed with facts and a human touch, he will bring people from different viewpoints and regions to the national conversation.”
"Political reporting is at the heart of public broadcasting. I've watched and appeared on this show since its original incarnation as Politics with Don Newman and all the incredible hosts since then. It's an absolute honour to be asked to take the host chair at this time and build on that legacy," said Cochrane.
Since joining the CBC News Parliamentary Bureau as a national senior reporter in 2016, Cochrane has reported from 11 countries across four continents and played a lead role in CBC's 2019 and 2021 federal election coverage. He also reported extensively on the federal government’s response to COVID-19 and the protests that occupied downtown Ottawa in the winter of 2022.
Before his Ottawa posting, Cochrane spent nearly two decades covering politics in Newfoundland and Labrador. He was awarded a Canadian Screen Award for television reporting and three awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada (RTDNA) for Best Radio Feature, Digital Analysis and Hosting. Born in St. John's, Cochrane has a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
-30-
About CBC/Radio-Canada
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Incumbents not running for re-election
As of March 2025, 52 MPs have announced they will not run in the 2025 federal election. One MP lost their party nomination race to run again.
| Party | MPs retiring | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 election[d] | Current | ||
| Liberal | 35 | 35 | |
| Conservative | 10 | 9 | |
| New Democratic | 4 | 4 | |
| Bloc Québécois | 4 | 4 | |
|
|
Independent | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 52 | 52 | |
Incumbents who lost nomination races
| Member of Parliament | Electoral district | Province or territory | Date nomination held | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald Soroka[86] | Yellowhead | Alberta | June 22, 2024 | |
Alberta: Yellowhead riding’s Conservative candidate speaks about diverse needs of massive riding
William Stevenson is a chartered professional accountant who served as a financial agent for multiple MPs; he wants to work on tax reform and the CRA
JASPER, AB, Feb. 14, 2025 – The Conservative candidate for the Yellowhead riding has his hands full with an impending election and a large district to get acquainted with.
William Stevenson, a chartered professional accountant in Carstairs, acknowledged the new riding boundaries now encompassed a variety of communities with diverse needs, ranging from tourism destinations nestled in the Rocky Mountains to resource-based economies in the prairies.
“To me, this riding is not built to make it easy,” Stevenson said. “The city ones, [an MP] can be across their entire one in 10 minutes. This is possibly seven hours from north to south, so it's gonna be very difficult on that end to get to everybody there.”
Stretching from Canmore to north of Grande Cache and the Alberta-B.C. border to Drayton Valley, Yellowhead is one of the largest federal ridings in the province.
The riding also includes Banff, Jasper, Crossfield, Edson, Hinton, Rocky Mountain House, Sundre, Carstairs, Caroline, the MD of Bighorn, Clearwater County and portions of the MD of Greenview, Rocky View County and Yellowhead County.
“I would say it's probably one of the most diverse ridings in the province, if not the country,” Stevenson said.
Should Stevenson win, he would have to rely on technology such as video conferencing to properly represent his constituents.
Although Stevenson has been involved in provincial and federal party politics for 30 years, this is the first time that he has stepped out from behind the scenes and into the spotlight.
With his children having grown up and his career becoming a grind – working 100 days straight last year – he decided to seek the nomination, which was possible due to the significant boundary changes to the riding.
Having served as a financial agent for multiple MPs, Stevenson had a good handle on how to get through the nomination process.
“I was sitting on the other side of the chair, and I knew the process, so I was prepared to know what I had to do,” he said.
Stevenson challenged Conservative incumbent Gerald Soroka for the nomination last year and was officially declared the winner on June 22.
Since then, he has continued to work as an accountant while travelling around the riding and getting acquainted with its numerous communities. The Alberta Conservative Caucus also met in Jasper last month, where he got to meet some of Jasper’s key players including Mayor Richard Ireland.
One of the biggest issues for Banff and Jasper, Stevenson believed, was the relationship with Parks Canada and having decisions made in Ottawa.
When it came to the Jasper wildfire response, he said there was room for improvement regarding communication between bureaucracies.
While he thought Parks Canada personnel on the ground had done everything they could to prevent the fire, policies from Ottawa would have to be re-examined to see if there was any room for improvement.
Throughout the riding, he has heard from constituents about affordability, the carbon tax and housing. The energy and forestry industries are also concerned about the impending trade war with the United States.
“That could potentially hurt our industry here,” Stevenson said.
If elected, Stevenson hopes to get on a committee dealing with the Canadian Revenue Agency and work on tax reform.
“Because I've dealt with that for the last 25 years, that will be kind of my wheelhouse that I can contribute a lot to,” he said.
He explained, as an example, how elderly business clients who had been filing GST returns on paper for the last 30 years now have to pay a $100 fee every time they do a paper GST return.
“There's lots of little things like that that we could do right away that would ease the pain of the administration of doing taxes,” he said.
With such a diverse riding, Stevenson anticipated a “laundry list” of issues that he would need to deal with.
“There's not going to be one thing, but trying to make your life simpler, less red tape and less tax, that'll be my goal,” he said.
Canmore resident Avni Soma has been declared the NDP candidate for Yellowhead. A Liberal candidate has not been nominated yet, but Kyle Pynch, chair of the Yellowhead Federal Liberal Association, said in an email that the process should be completed in the next few weeks.
Peter Shokeir is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with the Jasper Fitzhugh News in Jasper, Alberta. Title image: William Stevenson, the Conservative candidate for the Yellowhead riding, visits Hinton, Alta. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 (Peter Shokeir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter).
Poll Tracker
Liberals move ahead as election call looms
LiberalMark Carney37.7%
Individual pollsAll
national opinion polls used in the Poll Tracker are listed below in
reverse-chronological order. Click on the poll to view the full detailed
report of the poll or the original source.
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Conservatives Crumble: Liberals surge past CPC into majority territory, but Grits’ vote commitment is softerSingh’s party down to single digits as left of centre voters stampede away from the NDPMarch 17, 2025 – A whirlwind first quarter of 2025 has swept up Canadian politics and tossed it back down in an unrecognizable jumble. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds the governing Liberal Party – led by newly sworn-in Prime Minister Mark Carney – surging to a five-point vote intention advantage nationally after trailing by 29 points in late December. Were these numbers to hold, with the Liberals at 42 per cent in vote intention, what was a tired, discardable brand just three months ago would be on its way to a fourth term, this time with a majority.
The causes are myriad, with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre losing two of his biggest targets – Justin Trudeau and the carbon tax – and U.S. President Donald Trump generating a wave of Canadian pride and nationalism with tariff and annexation threats. Over this three-month period Liberal support has jumped 30 points in the city of Toronto, 25 points in 905 ridings. There are serious caveats, however. While the party has skyrocketed into majority territory not seen since 2016, much of this vote intention lacks solidity. Half of would-be Liberal voters currently say they’re very committed to this position (49%), 17-points lower than the CPC base (66%).
That said, Carney enters the job with some key advantages over Poilievre. He is seen as best to handle the ongoing trade war and Trump’s annexation threats by a majority of Canadians, while Poilievre is seen as best by three-in-10. The same proportions say this when considering which leader will capably steward Canada’s economy more broadly.
More bluntly, 41 per cent now view Carney as best suited to be prime minister compared to 29 per cent for Poilievre. At least measurement, with Trudeau sitting in the PM chair, Poilievre led the Liberal leader by 19 points on this question.
More Key Findings:
About ARI The Angus Reid Institute (ARI) was founded in October 2014 by pollster and sociologist, Dr. Angus Reid. ARI is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation established to advance education by commissioning, conducting and disseminating to the public accessible and impartial statistical data, research and policy analysis on economics, political science, philanthropy, public administration, domestic and international affairs and other socio-economic issues of importance to Canada and its world. INDEXPart One: Carney and the Liberal comeback
Part Two: Vote retention and commitment
Part Three: Leadership and momentum
Part Four: Top issues
Postscript: Trudeau leaves on a high note
Part One: Carney and the Liberal comebackNew PM takes Liberals above CPC for the first time since 2022New Liberal leader Mark Carney was sworn in as prime minister last week, taking over a full plate of hot issues from the departing Justin Trudeau. While Carney’s first trip as prime minister is to the United Kingdom and Europe, his attention is firmly set on Canada’s southern border and the destabilizing force of second-term U.S. President Donald Trump. In his first speech as prime minister, Carney called the threats of annexation from Trump as “crazy” and definitively stated that Canada would “never” become the 51st State. Trudeau’s departure, and Canada-U.S. relations, have had an outsized effect on the rapidly shifting voter intention picture that the country has seen since the calendar turned to 2025. The Liberals under Trudeau had sunk to quite possibly their lowest ever support – 16 per cent – last New Year’s Eve. A week later, Trudeau announced his intention to resign. Vote intention for the party bounced back during the Liberal leadership race to replace the outgoing PM and has continued an upward trend. With Carney in place at the helm, the Liberals’ ascension has taken them past the rival Conservative Party for the first time since 2022. Currently, 42 per cent of Canadians say they would support the Liberals if an election was held today – the highest support for the Liberals has been since September 2016. Fewer than two-in-five (37%) would support the Conservatives, representing a five-point advantage for the incumbents. The Liberals’ surge has come less at the expense of the Conservatives (although that has also happened) and more to the detriment of the NDP and the Bloc Québécois. The former’s support falls to nine per cent, the lowest figure seen in more than a decade of tracking data by the Angus Reid Institute. The latter’s sits at eight per cent, matching the totals the Quebec-only party received in the last two federal elections, but below the double figure support seen for the party last year: Liberals lead in Ontario, QuebecThe evaporation of support for the Liberals under Trudeau led to a series of byelection defeats last year, none more significant than the Liberal loss of Toronto-St. Paul’s, a riding held by the party for 30 years. The Liberal defeat in Toronto was emblematic of declining support for the party not only across the country, but also in the seat-rich province of Ontario. Under the party’s new leadership, the Liberals hold the advantage over the Conservatives in Ontario. The Liberals also are the choice of a plurality of those in Quebec. Support for the incumbent party has also rebounded in Atlantic Canada, historically a stronghold. The Conservatives and Liberals are tied in B.C. and Manitoba, while the former party finds its strongest support in the Prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan:
Urban vote intent for Liberals doubles from DecemberThe decline of support in the metropolitan areas of the country since the 2021 federal election is another significant trend for the Liberals that appears to have reversed. Related: Metro Slide: Dissatisfaction with federal Liberals drives double-digit drop in urban support Compared to early December, vote intention for the Liberals has nearly doubled in urban areas. The Conservatives hold an advantage still in the rural parts of the country, but support for the Liberals in those areas has more than doubled from December:
There has been a surge of support for the Liberals in the country’s biggest cities led by 30-point gains in the downtown core of Toronto and 28-point gains in Halifax and Calgary. In Toronto’s core, this gain has been at the expense of both the Conservatives (-16) and NDP (-11), while in the country’s other big cities, it is the NDP whose support has suffered most from the Liberals’ resurgence:
The Liberal/Conservative gender divideSince he was elected as leader of the Conservative party in 2022, Pierre Poilievre has been viewed more negatively by women than men. That gender gap in appraisal likely plays into the lower support for the party among women. Meanwhile, the Liberals have seen some growth in support among men, but still trail the Conservatives among men older than 34:
The 45- to 64-year-old age range is the largest source of support for the Conservatives in general. But they find themselves at best tied with the Liberals among Canadians those ages. Conservative support dries up among those younger than 35, while Canadians older than 64 are more likely to vote Liberal than any other party: Part Two: Vote retention and commitmentLiberals claw back 2021 votersAt the Liberals’ nadir on New Year’s Eve, more than half of the party’s 2021 voters said they would be looking to vote elsewhere whenever the next federal election came around. The party’s reversal of fortunes has partially come about by those 2021 federal Liberals returning home. It is also boosted by siphoning off 2021 NDP voters, half of whom who say they would vote Liberal if the election were today. The Bloc also appear to be suffering from the Liberals’ bounce back, with one-quarter (23%) of 2021 separatist Bloc Québécois voters saying they will support the Liberals come the next election. Notably, Quebec had seen the largest boost in proportion of Canadians who said they have a deep emotional attachment to Canada in response to Trump’s annexation threats and tariff assaults.
But many Liberal supporters say they could still change their mindsDespite the vote intention upheaval of the last few months, the Conservatives still maintain the largest group of “very committed” voters with two-thirds (66%) who say they are steadfast in their support of the party. Meanwhile, half (49%) of current Liberal supports say the same thing. The NDP, whose support has fallen off a cliff in the wake of Trudeau’s departure, also finds itself with the least committed group of voters: Part Three: Leadership and momentumHalf have favourable view of CarneyOne of the key public opinion stories of 2024 was the general distaste the country had for its political leaders. ARI research found that the collection of Poilievre, Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh were the least popular national party leaders of the big three parties dating back 50 years. Related: Canada’s national party leaders have never been less popular, and 50 years of data demonstrates that Carney enters the picture as the only leader among the big three parties with a positive net favourability rating, as well as a favourable view by half (50%) of Canadians. One-third (35%) say they view Carney unfavourably, while a sizable minority of one-in-six (15%) have yet to form an opinion. Among the remaining two of the negatively viewed trio, Singh is less popular (33% favourable) than Poilievre (35%). Blanchet is viewed favourably by half (50%) in Quebec. But he performs worse on this metric than Carney in that province, who is viewed favourably by a majority (55%, see detailed tables).
Poilievre trends negativelyPoilievre never got to enjoy a honeymoon of public opinion among Canadians. He entered the political scene after his Conservative leadership race victory viewed unfavourably by a majority of Canadians (51%). That perspective has only become more popular over time, reaching a new high of 57 per cent in these most recent data. One-third (35%) say they have an unfavourable of Poilievre, a five-point decline from the peak of his popularity in January 2024:
Singh sits at favourability low-pointThree-in-five (58%) Canadians say they have an unfavourable view of Singh, tying his lowest rating since he took over the NDP’s leadership in 2017. He’s been at that low point since December. That also represents an 11-point decline in opinion of the NDP leader from one year ago, when assessments from Canadians were near evenly split between positive (44%) and negative (47%):
Plurality view Carney as best choice for PMThe unpopularity of the Trudeau, Singh and Poilievre trio of federal leaders mentioned above, also led to a situation where many Canadians felt they did not have a good option when it came to who would best fill the prime minister’s chair. Poilievre was previously the most likely choice for best prime minister by Canadians but was also usually followed close behind by “none of the above”. Enter Carney, who is selected as the best prime minister by two-in-five (41%) Canadians, while the proportion of Canadians who believe none of the big three party leaders is the best choice has declined to 13 per cent. Part Four: Top issuesThe three top issues of 2025 are clear in the minds of Canadians. The first is the cost-of-living crisis which has challenged many over the past four years. The second is the more recent threat from Trump, which has strained relations with the United States in a way rarely seen in this nation’s history. Third is the ever-looming issue of Canadian healthcare.
Carney holds advantage over Poilievre on top issues of the dayIf and when a federal election campaign does begin, there are going to be several key issues for voters deciding between the contenders. Trump will undoubtedly loom large, and this appears to be an advantage currently for Carney. The new prime minister is preferred over Poilievre by 25 points in handling the trade and tariff war, and 22 points on Trump’s threats of annexation. On the more purely domestic issues of improving the Canadian economy and health care, Carney also holds a large advantage. Postscript: Trudeau leaves on a high noteOutgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves with what will likely be a fascinating final act in the history of his leadership. Trudeau hit a nadir in December of last year after the resignation of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, and then stepped down from the job in early January. Immediately after this, however, the country was repeatedly threatened by Trump, which has evidently created space for Trudeau to re-enter the graces of Canadians. His opposition to Trump and leadership in the last three months has more than doubled his approval rating from 22 to 47 per cent, the highest mark recorded since January 2021: Survey MethodologyThe Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from March 13 – 16, 2025 among a representative randomized sample of 4,009 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI. For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, click here. For PDF of full release, click here. For the questionnaire, click here.
MEDIA CONTACT: Shachi Kurl, President: 604.908.1693 shachi.kurl@angusreid.org @shachikurl Dave Korzinski, Research Director: 250.899.0821 dave.korzinski@angusreid.org Jon Roe, Research Associate: 825.437.1147 jon.roe@angusreid.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CBC News requested comment from both Mendicino and Carney's office for this story, but did not receive a response.
Carney chief of staff's time in cabinet, stance on Gaza under scrutiny
Opposition parties, some Liberal MPs critical of Marco Mendicino's new role
Both the Conservatives and NDP are criticizing prime minister-designate Mark Carney's choice to appoint former public safety minister Marco Mendicino as chief of staff during the transition — one party bringing up the controversy that forced him out of cabinet and the other, his staunch pro-Israel support.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh posted on the social media platform X on Wednesday afternoon about a ceasefire motion his party had presented in Parliament last year.
A watered-down version of it passed, with all Liberals on board other than three MPs, including Mendicino.
"In that moment, Marco Mendicino had a choice. He chose to side with Netanyahu," Singh wrote, referring to the Israeli prime minister.
"Now, Mark Carney has appointed him as his chief of staff — his closest adviser and in one of the most powerful positions in his government. I cannot imagine the pain and hurt this has caused so many of you."
Earlier this week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre zeroed in on Mendicino's past tenure in cabinet. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had named him immigration minister in 2019 and public safety minister in 2021.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre slammed Mendicino's handling of the public safety and immigration files. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Mendicino was shuffled out of cabinet in 2023, after facing calls for his resignation over serial killer Paul Bernardo's transfer to a medium-security prison.
"He's the guy forced to resign," Poilievre said, noting that controversy as well as accusing Mendicino of doing "nothing to stop Beijing's foreign interference in Canada's democracy," and helping break Canada's immigration system.
Carney told caucus Mendicino's role is temporary: sources
Carney addressed Liberal caucus members during a meeting on Monday.
Two Liberal MPs told CBC News Carney explained during his speech that Mendicino's new role is temporary.
The MPs spoke on condition they not be named, as they were not allowed to publicly comment on the contents of the meeting.
Carney is expected to be sworn in as prime minister later this week. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
One of them told CBC News that multiple caucus members are unhappy about Mendicino's appointment for a variety of reasons, ranging from his appointment opening up avenues for criticism by the Conservatives, to his pro-Israel stance in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials, after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis. Another 250 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage.
Mendicino, who is still the Liberal MP for the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, walked into the caucus meeting himself after earlier attending a briefing between Trudeau and Carney.
He did not answer questions from the media, and one of the MPs who spoke to CBC News said he was quiet during the gathering as well.
Some Liberals defend Mendicino
Some Liberal MPs defended Mendicino getting named to the job.
"He has the experience of an MP. In fact, it would be interesting to see through history chiefs of staff to leaders who have served as members of Parliament, adds a perspective that I think would do caucus very well," said Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal MP for London North Centre.
"Marco is a good colleague," said Fisheries and Oceans Minister Diane Lebouthillier. "Any minister can lose their position in cabinet."
"I know Marco very well," said Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. "He's a man who knows how the administration of the Canadian government works very well. He has solid experience, that's why he's here for the transition and he'll be important in the next few days."
Stephen
Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, is seen in a
file photo. His organization is calling on Canadian Muslims to write to
Carney about his choice of chief of staff. (Nicole Osborne/The Canadian Press)
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), one of the larger political advocacy groups representing Muslims in Canada, also criticized Mendicino's appointment, urging its supporters to send emails to Carney asking him to explain why he appointed Mendicino.
The NCCM highlighted his vote on the ceasefire motion, and pointed out how Mendicino has shared social media posts from a past leader of the Jewish Defence League, a group that the FBI called a "violent extremist" organization in 2001.
CBC News requested comment from both Mendicino and Carney's office for this story, but did not receive a response.
When Mendicino announced in early January he would not be seeking re-election, he wrote in a statement that he has "disagreed with the current direction of the federal government on our foreign policy vis-a-vis our deteriorated relations with the state of Israel, our inadequate handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and our enfeebled role in the Middle East."
He wrote that "as a matter of principle, I have been consistently outspoken in my condemnation of the unjust targeting of the Jewish community."
Tuesday evening, Carney made a rare public statement about the Middle East, calling on Israel to resume supplying electricity into Gaza.
"Essentials including food, electricity and medical supplies should never be used as political tools," he wrote.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After landslide victory, Mark Carney meets with Trudeau as transition to power begins
Carney camp confirms leader has divested assets into blind trust
Prime minister-designate Mark Carney met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday as the new Liberal leader takes the reins of power after a landslide victory in Sunday's party election.
Carney told reporters at Parliament Hill that the meeting was long and they discussed the most pressing issues of the day: Canada-U.S. relations and other matters of national security.
He said the government handover will be "seamless" and "quick" and he said his official swearing-in will happen in short order.
"The good news is you'll be seeing probably more of me than you want," he joked. "We'll be coming back soon."
A spokesperson for Carney announced Monday evening that the prime minister-designate divested all of his assets, other than his personal real estate, into a blind trust.
The signed blind trust document was submitted to the ethics commissioner when the results of the leadership vote were announced on Sunday.
"We have been actively working with the ethics commissioner and we have delivered a full and robust conflict-of-interest management plan," said the spokesperson in a statement.
Liberal MPs say why they think Carney was elected party leaderIn addition to his sit-down with Trudeau, Carney met with Liberal MPs at a caucus meeting.
He said his message to his new team is to stay focused on solutions to Trump's trade war.
"We know this is a crucial time for our country. We're united to serve Canadians and we will build this country up," Carney said.
Carney has tapped a familiar face to serve as his chief of staff: current MP and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino.
Sources close to the new Liberal leader told CBC News that Mendicino, who served as public safety minister under Trudeau before being shuffled out of cabinet in 2023, will serve as chief of staff as Carney shifts from leadership campaign mode to governing.
Mark Carney becomes prime minister-designateMendicino joined Carney for the meeting with Trudeau.
A spokesperson for Carney said Mendicino's appointment is a temporary one through this transition period.
Canada does not have a long history of elected politicians serving as a prime minister's chief of staff — although Jean Pelletier, a former mayor of Quebec City, did play that role for former prime minister Jean Chrétien.
Mendicino was dropped from cabinet amid a backlash over his handling of convicted murderer Paul Bernardo's move from a maximum-security prison in Ontario to a medium-security facility in Quebec.
Former justice minister David Lametti, who was left out of cabinet in the same 2023 shuffle, is also helping with Carney's transition.
Trudeau carries a chair from the House of Commons on Parliament Hill on Monday. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)
A Reuters photographer snapped a picture of Trudeau later carrying a House of Commons chair out of the West Block chamber as he winds down his time in government.
Under parliamentary rules, an outgoing MP can purchase a replica of their chair in the chamber.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was scathing in his assessment of Carney after Sunday's vote.
"He's just like Justin. He's just the same — same advisers, same staff. That will produce the same results," he said.
Sources say many of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's staff will be replaced.
Poilievre said Carney has a "disastrous history as an economic adviser" to Trudeau.
Carney offered some advice to the government at the outset of the pandemic and was recruited last fall to Trudeau's economic advisory council.
"Trump will have a briefing on his desk of all Carney's American investments and we know Carney will sell out Canada for his personal profit as an insider," Poilievre said.
It's not known how many American investments Carney holds.
As of last April, the new leader does own shares in Brookfield Asset Management, which moved its head office from Toronto to New York last year but is still publicly trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Carney was the company's board chairman before resigning to run for Liberal leadership.
Poilievre compares his record to new Liberal Leader Mark CarneyLiberal MPs were jubilant Monday about Carney's landslide victory — he pulled in a stunning 86 per cent of the points, easily crushing his competitors.
"Mark Carney is what Canada needs to deal with the U.S.," said longtime Liberal MP Judy Sgro.
She said Poilievre doesn't have what it takes to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump as Canada stares down his 51st state taunts and the threat of economic ruin.
"He's 100 miles ahead of Pierre Poilievre. He has the economic knowledge that Canada needs to build our country up. Poilievre has nowhere near that kind of knowledge — he's like a little kid compared to Carney," she said.
That message was the lips on every MP who stopped to talk to reporters ahead of the caucus meeting.
Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, himself a trained economist, said Poilievre knows nothing about the economy and would be the wrong choice at this crucial inflection point.
Poilievre served as the party's finance critic under former leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O'Toole.
Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said the country needs an experienced person like Carney, a former central banker in both Canada and the U.K., to lead Canada through the trade war.
"Mark Carney is a very good man for this moment and I hope we can convince the Canadian people of that fact," McGuinty said.
Parties recruiting candidates
Liberal MP Kody Blois, the Atlantic caucus chair, said Carney's candidacy has been a shot in the arm for the party.
There are many more people wanting to run for the Liberals now than there were two months ago when Trudeau's popularity was at a low point, he said.
The party confirmed Sunday it already has 165 candidates lined up to run for the Liberals in the next general election.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, are well ahead in that count. A spokesperson said the party has 258 nominated candidates so far.
There are 343 ridings up for grabs — five more than the last federal vote.
Blois said Liberal "candidate recruitment is going very well" in his region in particular, with "some really strong people stepping forward."
"I really like the contrast of Carney against Pierre Poilievre who is resembling what we're seeing south of the border," he said, referring to Trump. "Carney is the mature voice we need in this moment."
"People are excited to run for us," added MP Karina Gould, who pulled about three per cent of the points in Sunday's leadership election.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from CBC's Rosemary Barton and David Cochrane
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