Prime Minister Carney to shuffle cabinet at Rideau Hall today

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to name his new cabinet at Rideau Hall this morning — and it’s expected to be a slimmed-down front bench meant to signal a more businesses-minded approach to government.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Rideau Hall at 10:30 a.m. ET.

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The Prime Minister’s Office is forecasting the new team will include up to 30 ministers and up to 10 “secretaries of state,” with about half of those named to be new faces, including some who were newly elected on April 28.

A government official, who was not authorized to speak about the appointments before they’re made public, says the cabinet will include a representative from every province and a representative from the North.

This is Carney’s second cabinet, though it’s his first not under a caretaker government.

Carney initially whittled his team down to 23 from 39 in the final cabinet under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Carney has committed to gender parity in his cabinet — a standard established by Trudeau when he took office in 2015.

Canadian Culture and Identity Minister Steven Guilbeault is among the names that will stay in cabinet, a Liberal source has confirmed to The Canadian Press.

The former climate activist, who proved a contentious environment minister among prairie premiers when he served in that role between 2021 and 2025, will stay in cabinet largely in the same role he was given on March 14.

That includes being responsible for biodiversity, nature and Parks Canada. Guilbeault was also the culture minister and Carney’s Quebec lieutenant.

Carney dropped a number of ministers in his first cabinet named on March 14, and added three new faces then. The one role he has to fill is the health minister, after the Liberal incumbent who last held the role, Kamal Khera, was defeated in her Brampton riding during last month’s election.

After his first cabinet was announced on March 14, Carney was criticized for consolidating some of the smaller ministerial roles into one larger portfolio, including women, labour, youth, official languages, diversity, persons with disabilities and seniors.

Secretaries of state are effectively junior ministers with a lower salary, smaller office budgets, fewer staff and fewer statutory authorities. The current pay scale shows full cabinet ministers make an additional $99,900 on top of their MP salary of $209,800. Secretaries of state are set to earn $74,700 on top of their MP salary.

The PMO official said secretaries of state will be invited to cabinet and cabinet committee meetings, but only those related to their portfolio.

Parliament is slated to return May 26 and Carney has announced that King Charles will deliver the speech from the throne the next day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2025.