Conservative MP says Carney should appoint a labour minister and pay more than 'lip service' to workers
OTTAWA — A Conservative MP is calling on the federal government to dedicate a full cabinet position to the issue of labour, saying Prime Minister Mark Carney must pay more than 'lip service' to workers in his region affected by General Motors' planned shift cuts.
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Jamil Jivani, the recently reelected MP for Bowmanville—Oshawa North, released a letter through his office on Wednesday, the day after Carney unveiled his new cabinet.
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Of the 38 cabinet positions, ten were designated as secretaries of state who will not attend every cabinet meeting and are assigned to specific issues.
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Labour was one of the issues designated to one of these more junior positions. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government had labour as a full cabinet position.
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On Tuesday, Carney named John Zerucelli, the newly elected Liberal MP for Etobicoke North, as a secretary of state to labour.
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In his public letter, Jivani argues that unions and businesses in his region of Durham, which forms part of the Greater Toronto Area, are 'facing serious economic challenges' after General Motors' announced it would be cutting back on shifts at its Oshawa plant this fall, with rotating layoffs starting this June, according to the local union.
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The local union has warned that hundreds of jobs remain at risk.
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'With these local economic factors in mind, it is no surprise that many Canadians are concerned by Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to exclude a Minister of Labour from the newly unveiled federal Liberal cabinet and relegate the labour portfolio to a junior position in government,' Jivani said.
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He points to comments made by the Canadian director of LiUNA, which represents more than 160,000 union members in fields like construction.
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Joseph Mancinelli said on X that Carney's decision to exclude a labour minister from his cabinet was a 'slap in the face to our members.'
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'If the Canadian government wants respect from labourers, perhaps let's start with a Minister of Labour if cabinet,' Mancinelli wrote.
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has focused his party on building support among workers and union members, with Conservatives receiving at least 12 union endorsements in the April 28 federal election and capturing seats in areas affected by U.S. tariffs like southern Ontario
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Poilievre, who lost his own seat in Parliament and now plans to run in a byelection in rural Alberta, has said Conservatives are prepared to work with the minority Liberals in certain areas, such as when it comes to negotiating with the U.S. 'if the government does a good job.'
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