Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out a handful of collective core priorities for his new ministers on Wednesday, vowing his government will work to bring down the cost of living and reconfigure some of Canada’s most important international relationships.
Carney released just one mandate letter for his entire cabinet, rather than the traditional spate of individual assignments. He said this shows every member of his cabinet shares “a unified mission.”
“This one letter outlines the core priorities of Canada’s new government, reflecting the mandate that Canadians have given to us,” he said.
“The government is charged to build the strongest economy in the G7, an economy that works for everyone, to bring down the cost of living for Canadian families, to keep our country’s security — our communities — safe, to develop a new economic and security relationship with the United States, and to build new partnerships with reliable allies around the world.”
Carney made the comments while speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill after holding a secretive two-day retreat with his new cabinet in Gatineau, Que.
In a break from the tradition followed by Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, media were not allowed on site at Meech Lake to ask ministers questions — placing the spotlight squarely on Carney.
Several ministers made headlines last week by giving conflicting messages to the media on pipeline policy, reporting there would be no budget until fall, and declaring that lowering housing prices would be the wrong approach to making homes more affordable.
The letter explicitly directs ministers to assess how they should proceed to govern through their individual departments.
“Over the coming weeks, I will look to each of you to identify the key goals and measures of success on which to evaluate the results you will achieve for Canadians as a member of the Ministry,” the letter reads.
In the mandate letter, Carney also said he expects each cabinet committee, led by a chair, to “drive and monitor” progress. He said that should be done with oversight from the priorities, planning and strategy committee — chaired by the prime minister — and direction from the full cabinet.
A number of new cabinet committees were announced last week that reflect the government’s focus on shoring up Canada’s sovereignty and improving quality of life.
They include a new Build Canada committee focused on strengthening the economy, and a committee on government transformation and efficiency, aimed at reducing government spending.
Other new groups include a committee on operations and parliamentary affairs, a committee for quality of life and well-being, and a committee on a secure and sovereign Canada that aims to reinforce Canadian sovereignty, manage Canada-U.S. relations and advance Canada’s interests around the world.
Carney spoke with journalists after emerging from what his office called a cabinet “planning forum” held at Meech Lake to prepare for the new sitting of Parliament, which starts next week.
At the press conference Wednesday, Carney was also asked about Liberal MPs considering adopting Reform Act rules to have the power to trigger a leadership review.
Carney said all recognized parties in Parliament are bound by the Reform Act and that votes will take place at the first caucus meeting on Sunday.
“I observe that this will happen,” Carney said.
The new minority Parliament meets for the first time on Monday to elect a new House Speaker, and will watch King Charles III deliver the speech from the throne on Tuesday.
Seven priorities
Here are seven priorities outlined in the mandate letter:
• Establishing a new economic and security relationship with the United States and strengthening our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world.
• Building one Canadian economy by removing barriers to interprovincial trade and identifying and expediting nation-building projects that will connect and transform our country.
• Bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them to get ahead.
• Making housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private cooperation, catalyzing a modern housing industry, and creating new careers in the skilled trades.
• Protecting Canadian sovereignty and keeping Canadians safe by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing our borders, and reinforcing law enforcement.
• Attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy, while returning our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels.
• Spending less on government operations so that Canadians can invest more in the people and businesses that will build the strongest economy in the G7.
With files from IE.