Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, at Rideau Hall, Canada’s new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, was sworn in alongside members of the 30th Canadian Ministry. Photo: PO 2 Louis Dubé, Rideau Hall © OSGG, 2025 28 / Canadian Government Executive / Spring 2025 THE LAST WORD Prime Minister Mark Carney has written a letter to his ministers. In a departure from the practice of his predecessor, Prime Minister Carney did not issue a set of public mandate letters, with a lengthy one for each minister. Instead, he released a single, relatively short letter for the whole ministry that enumerates seven key priorities. Prime Minister Carney has explained that the single message for all ministers reflects a “unified approach.” The letter makes it clear that the focus for Carney is on the economy for the most part, with housing, the affordability crisis, border security, and Canada’s relationship with the United States as key intersecting themes. But we knew that already. The letter does not contain explicit instructions that would help ministers understand their role in the prime minister’s vision. Instead, it gives the sense that he has a plan in his head and the rest of us are on a need-to-know basis – ministers included. This approach speaks volumes about Prime Minister Carney’s approach to communication and, though it is too early to tell for sure, to governance as well. MARK CARNEY’S LETTER BY LORI TURNBULL
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