Rapid Recap: Prime Minister Carney’s Cabinet: New Health Minister, Gender Parity, Two-Tiered System
May 13, 2025 – Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, swore in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Cabinet today, creating the 30th Canadian Ministry. In the April 28 federal election, the Liberal Party of Canada secured 170 seats, forming a minority government. Prime Minister Carney’s resulting Cabinet is larger than his pre-election Cabinet and has many new faces, creating a new look and a noticeable change from those who served under Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Following her electoral defeat in Brampton West, Kamal Khera, the previous Health Minister, was replaced by the newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) Marjorie Michel. Michel is a first-time MP in the Montreal riding of Papineau, a seat Justin Trudeau held for 17 years. A long-time political staffer, Michel was previously the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the President of the Treasury Board.
Initial Insights
- Prime Minister Carney’s Cabinet has a total of 28 Ministers and 10 Secretaries of State. The newly appointed Cabinet demonstrates gender parity, a balance not reflected in the group of Secretaries of State. The Cabinet is also representative of every province – either with a Minister or a Secretary of State.
- There is a blend of experienced Ministers, who previously served in the Trudeau Government, and new Ministers who were elected as Members of Parliament for the first-time in 2025. The official communique stated that “this focused team will act on a mandate for change with urgency and determination”.
- Newly appointed Minister of Health Marjorie Michel is a new MP, but not new to the federal political scene with a lengthy career as a political staffer in a variety of portfolios, including in the Ministry of Families, Children, and Social Development. As the first black woman to be a Chief of Staff, and with a strong background in public service, Minister Michel will bring a unique and valuable experience to the health portfolio.
- One position not included in this Cabinet is a dedicated Minister of Mental Health. In the Trudeau Government, defeated MP Ya’ara Saks held the position of Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. The files related to this role are expected to revert back to the broader Minister of Health’s portfolio.
- Stephane McLean (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke) is the new Secretary of State for Seniors. As a former NDP Member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly, and a former Minister of Service Alberta and Status of Women, this position will be key to a significant electorate (55+ age group) who voted in large numbers for the Liberals.
- François-Philippe Champagne remains Minister of Finance. Minister Champagne’s continued role in the Department of Finance is a key alignment with the government’s strong economic focus.
Cabinet Roles
Prime Minister Mark Carney has created a Cabinet with a two-tier system — distinguishing between Senior Ministers and so-called “Junior Ministers” or Secretaries of State — a practice used by previous governments. While Secretaries of State will have responsibilities for files within a ministry, they will fall under the operations of a line department. Their key responsibilities will be to provide dedicated leadership on key issues and priorities within their portfolio.
The full list of cabinet members can be found here and at the end of this memo.
The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health
Newly elected Member of Parliament Marjorie Michel has been appointed Minister of Health. Minister Michel succeeded former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Papineau. She has held various roles as a political staffer. Most recently, she was Deputy Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office under Justin Trudeau, becoming the first black woman to hold the position. She has also worked as chief of staff for the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the President of the Treasury Board.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister Responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Minister Joly has been a Member of Parliament for Ahuntsic-Cartierville since 2015, and has held four different cabinet roles. She has been Minister of Canadian Heritage (2015–2018), Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie (2018–2019), Minister of Economic Development (2019–2021) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2021–2025).
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Minister Patty Hajdu was first elected as MP for Thunder Bay—Superior North in 2015. She has served in five different ministries including Minister of Status of Women (2015 – 2017), Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour (2017 – 2019), Minister of Health (2019 – 2021) and, most recently, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (2021 – 2025).
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue
Minister François-Philippe Champagne was first elected as MP for Saint-Maurice–Champlain in 2015. He was appointed Minister of Finance in Prime Minister Carney’s pre-election Cabinet and has held onto that role. He has served in four previous Cabinet positions, including Minister of International Trade (2017 to 2018), Minister of Infrastructure and Communities (2018 to 2019), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2019 to 2021), and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (2021 to 2025).
What’s Next?
Prime Minister Carney has confirmed that the House of Commons will return on Monday, May 26, marking the first day of the 45th Canadian Parliament. This will be the first time Parliament has sat in 2025.
The next key date will be May 27, when King Charles III will deliver the Speech from the Throne. This is notable as it is the first time a monarch has done so since 1977. The Speech from the Throne details the government’s anticipated direction and objectives, and will be the first confidence test of the minority government.
Immediately following the Speech from the Throne, the House of Commons will need to choose a Speaker of the House. Given the minority government, the election of the new Speaker will be closely watched. Although there’s speculation about an opposition member being chosen, it’s more likely the Speaker will come from the governing party. Conservative MP and former Deputy Speaker Chris d’Entremont (Acadie-Annapolis) and Green Party MP Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands) have both indicated their intention to run.
Cabinet
Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board
Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue
Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services
Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy
Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Steven MacKinnon, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health
Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade
Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Secretaries of State
Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development)
Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)
Wayne Long, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors)
Nathalie Provost, Secretary of State (Nature)
Ruby Sahota, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development)
Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport)
John Zerucelli, Secretary of State (Labour)