Trudeau out, Carney in as prime minister on Friday: reports

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OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s last day as prime minister will be Thursday as Mark Carney and a new cabinet will be sworn in by Governor General Mary Simon on Friday morning.

Rideau Hall confirmed Wednesday evening that Carney will be sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister at 11 a.m. on Friday, simultaneously marking the end of Trudeau’s nine year run in the job.

Carney’s swearing in will be followed immediately by the swearing in of his new cabinet, which is expected to be smaller than the current 37 members. There are currently eight ministers — including the prime minister — who have announced they will not be running in the upcoming federal election.

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It remains unclear if ex-ministers and Carney leadership rivals Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould will have a role in the new cabinet. Gould was seen with Carney during a steel mill visit on Wednesday while Freeland was in New York City to receive a medal from the Foreign Policy Association.

But Carney and his cabinet may not stay in the job for long as he is widely expected to call a federal election before Parliament is set to return from prorogation on March 24.

Sunday, the former central banker won the Liberal leadership race to replace Trudeau by a landslide, earning over 86 per cent of party members’ votes. He promised a “seamless” and “quick” transition after meeting with Trudeau on Monday morning.

Carney’s transition team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Carney becomes prime minister as the country is in the throes of an escalating trade war with its largest export market, the United States.

He has promised to uphold Canada’s reciprocal tariffs on specific American goods as long as President Donald Trump’s administration maintains 25 per cent universal tariffs on Canadian items that aren’t covered by the CUSMA trade deal.

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Carney met with the Liberal caucus on Monday and announced that former minister Marco Mendicino was his chief of staff during the transition, a controversial decision for Muslim groups and party supporters due to his fiercely pro-Israel since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.

The incoming prime minister spent Tuesday being briefed by various government officials, including the heads of the RCMP, the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada’s national security agencies. He also met with Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman.

Early Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he had a breakfast meeting with Carney to discuss the ongoing trade war with the U.S. At the same time, the federal government announced 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on $29.8 billion of American imports on the same day U.S. levies on all foreign imports of steel and aluminum kicked in.

After meeting with Ford, Carney travelled to Hamilton to visit a steel mill and speak with workers.

“Today is a difficult day for Canada. It’s a difficult day for the industry because of these unjustified tariffs that have been put on,” he said.

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Carney pledged the revenue Canada collects from its tariffs would be put towards supporting workers in affected industries.

“I’m ready to sit down with President Trump at the appropriate time — under a position where there’s respect for Canadian sovereignty — and we’re working for a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach for trade,” Carney said.

National Post, with files from Stephanie Taylor.

cnardi@postmedia.com

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