The day after the leadership race concluded, the transition began. Mark Carney had meetings with Justin Trudeau, and met with the caucus, albeit fairly briefly, as things got underway. We learned that he’s chosen MP Marco Mendicino as his chief of staff, which sounds like it’s on an interim basis (because Mendicino apparently has designs on running for mayor of Toronto), but so long as it means Katie Telford is out of the job, that’s what matters. Carney promised the transition would be swift, and it sounds like he wants a pared-down PMO. We also learned that Carney has already put his assets, minus personal real estate, into a blind trust and submitted all of his disclosures to the Ethics Commissioner, well ahead of schedule, which blunts the Conservatives’ attacks on his wealth. (To be clear, the rules state he has four months to disclose after being sworn-in, and he’s now disclosed even before being sworn-in). The one thing I found surprising was that Carney has reached out to Jean Charest to offer him some kind of senior role, including possibly a ministerial portfolio, and that Charest declined, with talk from the reporters saying that he may also be reaching out to Christy Clark.
I get it.
What's happened conflicts with imported American ideas like terms, mandates, popular legitimacy.
But the problem isn't Cdn practice. It's the imported notions.
— Philippe Lagassé (@LagasseSubstack) March 11, 2025
Suggesting that Carney was 'elected' PM because of the leadership campaign is ridiculous.
Suggesting that Carney is somehow not a real PM cause he doesn't have a seat or hasnt contested a general election isn't constitutionally correct.
— Philippe Lagassé (@LagasseSubstack) March 11, 2025
I see that many of the (significantly non-Canadian) voices who said Trudeau was a dictator who would never give up power have had their memories wiped and are now upset that there was a change in prime minister.
— Keith.js (@keithjs) March 10, 2025
As for Trudeau, he held his final Cabinet meeting, and was photographed carrying his chair out of the House of Commons (as the rules allow MPs to buy their chair when they leave politics).
On the trade war front, Doug Ford went ahead with the 25 percent “surcharge” on electricity exports (but it’s not a tariff, because that would be a federal trade power), and insists he’s looking into turning off the electricity if things get worse (which may actually be impossible given the interconnection of the grids). In response, Trump’s commerce secretary continued to threaten further tariffs on steel and aluminium, dairy, lumber, and “reciprocal” tariffs where they misunderstand that the GST is on all goods and not just imported ones. BC premier David Eby wants the federal government to drop their tariff fight with China, citing farmers and BC industry being hit on both sides (but seriously, do you think China is a good-faith actor here?).
Ukraine Dispatch
Russia has launched airstrikes overnight in Kyiv, while their troops are attempting to break through in the northeastern Sumy region, across the border from Kursk. In Kursk, Russian forces continue to advance, but Ukraine’s top general insists they are not at risk of being encircled. Ukraine claims that they have hit oil refineries in two Russian regions.
https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1899104651527524818
The refinery produces jet fuel for supersonic aircraft such as Su-27 fighter planes and Tu-22 bombers, the source claimed.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 10, 2025