Prime Minister Mark Carney has revealed a significant overhaul of deputy ministers and high-ranking public officials in a restructuring at the upper echelon of the public administration, an anticipated move in Ottawa. A total of 12 individuals are receiving new roles, leading to eight departments welcoming new deputy ministers. Concurrently, eight former deputy ministers are exiting the federal government.
Nick Leswick, previously the executive director for policy at the Bank of Canada, now assumes the role of deputy minister of finance. Meanwhile, John McArthur, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., joins the Privy Council Office as deputy secretary to the cabinet for economic policy. Marie-Josée Hogue, a puisne judge of the Court of Appeal of Quebec and leader of last year’s federal inquiry into foreign interference, is set to become the deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general.
Chris Fox, formerly the deputy clerk of the privy council, transitions into the position of deputy minister of defence. This shuffle follows Prime Minister Carney’s appointment of Michael Sabia as the new clerk of the Privy Council earlier in the year, marking another significant opportunity for Carney to influence the government’s machinery.
The clerk of the Privy Council holds the highest-ranking position within the public service, with deputy ministers serving as the top officials within government departments. Additionally, the Prime Minister’s Office indicated that further changes to the senior leadership of the public service will be disclosed early next year.