'Concerning' cabinet picks do not bode well for national unity, pundits say

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OTTAWA — What happens when the cabinet’s Brampton caucus boasts the same number of MPs from the Prairies?

As reaction to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet continues to percolate, his decision to stack his new cabinet with MPs from the 905 area code doesn’t bode well for national unity, said former MP Kevin Vuong.

“At a time when national unity is a growing concern, some will notice that there are the same number of ministers from the city of Brampton in Mark Carney’s cabinet as there are from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba combined,” Vuong told the Toronto Sun.

“I think this will become a problem for the prime minister.”

The Flower City saw two MPs enter Carney’s cabinet — Brampton East MP Maninder Sidhu as international trade minister and Brampton-Chinguacousy Park’s Shafqat Ali as Treasury Board president.

While the Liberals painted few ridings in the Prairies red on April 28, two were named to cabinet — Edmonton Centre Liberal MP Eleanor Olszewski is the new minister of emergency management and community resilience, while Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River MP Buckley Belanger was named secretary of state for rural development.

Stephen Taylor, a partner at Shift Media, criticized Carney’s cabinet picks as ones unconcerned with fostering Canadian unity.

“It looks like the same old, same old,” he said.

“Prime Minister Carney needs to be a prime minister for all Canadians and I think he’s failed that first test as an elected prime minister.”

He also criticized comments by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne after Wednesday morning’s cabinet meeting, when he said the government won’t be tabling a spring budget this year — just a fall economic statement.

“I think that’s only the second time in Canadian history where that’s happened,” he said, pointing out that the first time that happened was in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic — while the Trudeau Liberals were in charge.

“That’s just very concerning,” Taylor said.

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While many pundits agree that Carney’s cabinet was, at the very least, a perfunctory attempt to distance himself from the Trudeau era, Vuong said ghosts from the previous administration may still shape policy.

“While I think many were relieved to see Tim Hodgson appointed as minister of energy and natural resources, only time will tell if ministers (Steven) Guilbeault and (Julie) Dabrusin will allow Minister Hodgson to unlock Canada’s energy potential and do what’s best for the country,” he said.

Vuong also pointed out more troubling signs of where Carney’s government may stand on Israel.

“Two ministers, Shafqat Ali and Adam van Koeverden, were signatories of the Vote Palestine platform, which contradicts Canada’s official position for a two-state solution and aims to reward terrorism with unilateral statehood,” he said.

“They should clarify where they stand and whether they oppose our nation’s long-standing policy.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume