Prime Minister Mark Carney has released a mandate letter (Mandate Letter | Prime Minister of Canada) for the newly-formed government that identifies seven priorities:
- Establishing a new economic and security relationship with the United States and strengthening our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world.
- Building one Canadian economy by removing barriers to interprovincial trade and identifying and expediting nation-building projects that will connect and transform our country.
- Bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them to get ahead.
- Making housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private cooperation, catalysing a modern housing industry, and creating new careers in the skilled trades.
- Protecting Canadian sovereignty and keeping Canadians safe by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing our borders, and reinforcing law enforcement.
- Attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy, while returning our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels.
- Spending less on government operations so that Canadians can invest more in the people and businesses that will build the strongest economy in the G7.
Unlike his predecessor, Carney has not provided individual, detailed mandate letters to each of his ministers. Rather, the accountability to deliver on each of these priorities resides with each minister: “While fulfilling your core responsibilities as a member of the Ministry, you should identify how specifically you can contribute to these missions. You will be expected and empowered to lead, and to bring new ideas, clear focus, and decisive action to your work.”
The CSCB will closely monitor follow-up announcements from the Ministries of Public Safety, International Trade, and others to determine how those ministers will translate the focus on trade and the economy into concrete action.