Prime Minister Mark Carney has made it clear that he wants to set a new direction for the country. The Speech from the Throne set out an ambitious agenda for building up Canada’s economy and for making the country more secure in the face of external threats; this was followed by a letter that was sent to all ministers, which listed seven key priorities for the government, largely focused on economic themes.
Ministers are under intense pressure to deliver swift, visible progress on these priorities, as Canadians expect decisive action and have little patience for delays. In a departure from past practice, Prime Minister Carney has not issued individual mandate letters, leaving ministers to determine on their own how best to contribute to the government’s agenda and fulfill their responsibilities—making early demonstrations of leadership and effectiveness all the more critical. Clearly, ministers are going to need all the help they can get.
In our new series—Letter to a minister—we will provide each minister with a policy agenda that is bold enough to address the grave challenges that the country faces, but which can be implemented in a realistic time frame.
The series begins next week with a letter the minister of environment and climate change, with a new letter coming out every two weeks.
We hope that Hub readers will join us on this journey as we give our best advice on how, to quote former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, the “poetry” of election campaigns can be turned into the “prose” of governing.
Stay tuned!
