2 months after cabinet shuffle, where are new ministers’ mandate letters?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to issue mandate letters for his cabinet ministers, leaving those in new roles without clear marching orders.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to issue mandate letters for his cabinet ministers, leaving those in new roles without clear marching orders two months after announcing an overhaul to his front bench.

“If you don’t do this, your government’s success is likely going to be compromised,” said Sen. Tony Dean, who used to oversee Ontario’s public service.

“It’s important for everybody to be on the same page, and to understand what the desired deliverables are.”

Shortly after taking office in 2015, Trudeau’s government announced it would publish the lists of tasks given to each minister, known as mandate letters. The documents lay out the priorities for each federal minister, and signal to public servants the timeline or scope of policies the government wants to advance.

The last round of mandate letters was issued in December 2021, three months after the last federal election. This summer, Trudeau shuffled most of his cabinet, giving 30 ministers updated roles or brand-new postings that never existed before.

Defence Minister Bill Blair said last week that he hasn’t received a new mandate letter since taking on the role July 26, and is acting on the list of commitments that Trudeau assigned to Blair’s predecessor.

Last month, The Canadian Press asked International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen what was in his mandate letter for his new role. Hussen listed priorities, but his office did not say whether he’d actually received a mandate letter.

In an interview last week, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said she wasn’t expecting an updated mandate letter, because she’s held the same role since late 2021.