Carney selects former UN ambassador Marc André Blanchard as chief of staff

Globe and Mail

01-06-2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney has selected former United Nations ambassador Marc André Blanchard as his permanent chief of staff as the new Liberal government undertakes massive reform of the economy, two sources say.
The Globe and Mail is not identifying the two sources who were not authorized to discuss internal government staffing.
Former justice minister David Lametti will also take over as principal secretary, replacing Tom Pitfield, who helped run the Liberal election campaign and was filling in on an interim basis.
Mr. Blanchard, a prominent Quebec lawyer, is widely respected for his competence and level-headed judgment. He had served as Canada's ambassador to the UN from 2016-2020.
He replaces former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino who was interim Chief of Staff but plans to run for Mayor of Toronto next year.
The position of permanent chief of staff is one of the most important jobs in politics. A chief of staff provides stability, particularly for a government with a new leader and an ambitious agenda. The individual has great influence over ministers, caucus and the bureaucracy, as both a motivator and an enforcer of government policy.
Mr. Carney has an ambitious agenda, promising the largest transformation to the Canadian economy since the Second World War.
The new government has been pushing to reposition Canada with the goal of diversifying trade after an election campaign in which tension with the United States was a central issue.
Mr. Carney will meet provincial and territorial premiers Monday to discussing ways to fast-track the construction of housing and major nation-building projects.
Mr. Blanchard brings extensive experience on U.S. trade as the government is carrying out high level but secret negotiations with the Trump administration to lessen the impact of U.S. tariffs.
He sat on Canada's North American Free Trade Agreement Council from 2017-2020. Currently he serves as executive vice president and head of CDPQ Global and Global head of Sustainability.
Senator Percy Downe, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétien, said the position is an extension of the prime minister.
'So when they pick up the phone and call somebody, they are not calling for a chat. They are calling for a specific purpose, which is to move the government's agenda, to correct any errors that a minister may have made and to get them back on track on what the prime minister ran on in the election,' he said.
Mr. Lametti, who was at Oxford University with Mr. Carney, will handle much of the political and policy agenda as principal secretary.
The appointment of the two top advisers will provide stability and a direction for the government and allow Mr. Carney to fill out senior jobs in the Prime Minister's Office.