Is Carney's New Cabinet the Same Old Politics or a Fresh Direction?
I examine what the cabinet will mean for Canada, particularly in the West
Mark Carney promised change, but his first cabinet suggests we're getting more of the same. With this week’s unveiling of the new ministry, British Columbians have reason to be skeptical, especially with the appointment of Gregor Robertson as Housing Minister. Let's examine what this means for Western Canada and ponder whether Carney can truly heal Canada's deepening regional divisions.
Robertson's Housing Disaster Comes to Ottawa
The most perplexing appointment for British Columbians is undoubtedly Gregor Robertson as Housing Minister. During his decade as Vancouver's mayor (2008-2018), Robertson presided over one of the worst housing affordability crises in the city's history.
Remember his bold promise to “end street homelessness by 2015”? Not only did houselessness increase during his term, but housing prices MORE THAN DOUBLED under his watch. Vancouver became one of the world's least affordable housing markets, with the average home price nearly doubling.
Vancouver is notorious for being one of the world’s least affordable housing markets. And this is the man now tasked with solving Canada's national housing crisis?
Robertson replaces Nate Erskine-Smith, who was, by many accounts, one of the most effective housing communicators in the Liberal caucus. Erskine-Smith publicly expressed his disappointment on social media, saying "it's impossible not to feel disrespected."
BC's Cabinet Representation is Light on Western Influence
Beyond Robertson, BC has limited representation in Carney's cabinet. Three cabinet seats and two secretary of state positions were granted to the West, fewer than Quebec's nine positions. Notably, the critical Energy portfolio went to Tim Hodgson from Ontario. Carney has left the Western MPs, who might better understand our resource economy, high and dry.
Brad Tennant from Wellington Advocacy says, "The reaction from the West to Carney's new cabinet isn't about bruised egos or chasing geographic quotas. It's about whether Ottawa is finally ready to stop blocking Canadian job creation and resource development."
Hodgson's appointment offers cautious optimism because of his business background and experience with MEG Energy. However, the lack of strong Western voices in cabinet could undermine Carney's pipeline dreams and energy corridor development.
The Trudeau Shadow Looms Large
Despite promises of renewal, Carney's cabinet still resembles Trudeau's old guard. Key Trudeau-era ministers including Chrystia Freeland, Steven Guilbeault, Mélanie Joly, Anita Anand, and Dominic LeBlanc all retained prominent positions.
This was a chance for Carney to start anew and put his stamp on the country. But the similarities are alarming.
Steven Guilbeault remains in cabinet as "Minister of Canadian Identity". Guilbeault, a former Greenpeace activist once arrested for anti-development protests, will now be defining Canadian identity, all while separatist sentiment in Alberta and Saskatchewan rivals that of Quebec.
Western Alienation is Growing, Not Healing
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's reaction to the cabinet was as subtle as you think. "Fire... meet gas". This encapsulated the feeling many Westerners have watching this cabinet take shape. The appointments do little to address the profound sense of alienation that has been growing in Western provinces.
With 14 cabinet ministers from Ontario compared and only 5 from the West, the regional imbalance is stark. Quebec secured 9 positions, more than the entire Western representation combined.
For many Western Canadians, this cabinet confirms that Ottawa remains fundamentally disconnected from their concerns. Albertans and Saskatchewanians that talk about separation are expressing their real frustration with exactly this kind of dismissal.
BC's Poverty Industrial Complex
Closer to home, we're seeing the same pattern of bureaucratic expansion without results. Premier Eby's government recently hired another consultant at $25,000 per month to address substance abuse disorder issues. Properly allocated, this money could fund actual treatment beds and recovery programs.
This mirrors the federal approach that allows expensive consultants and massive bureaucracies to flourish while tangible results remain out of reach. People suffering from substance abuse disorder need treatment and recovery options – more overpaid bureaucrats producing reports are, frankly, a death sentence for them.
What Western Canada Needs Now
For Carney to heal regional divisions, he needs to demonstrate his newly-appointed strength through new action. This means:
Ensuring Western MPs have real influence on policy development, particularly in energy, resources, and infrastructure
Approving and expediting critical energy and infrastructure projects
Addressing the real economic concerns of Western Canadians without the environmental virtue signaling that characterized the Trudeau years
If Carney is serious about charting a new course away from Trudeau's reckless spending and half-baked policies, he can't simply reshuffle the same cabinet ministers into different chairs.
Change During Stagnation
For British Columbians and all Western Canadians who want to enact real change, this means staying engaged and holding our representatives accountable. Contact your MPs, especially those with cabinet positions, and make your expectations clear.
Western Canada deserves a federal government that respects our contributions to the national economy and understands our unique challenges. So far, Carney's cabinet suggests more of the same centralist thinking that has alienated the West for decades. His actions will speak louder than any ministerial title.