Former Trudeau cabinet minister criticizes PMO over access to prime minister
CBC
Former foreign affairs minister Marc Garneau is criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his office, saying that he was "never sure" if something conveyed to the Prime Minister's Office "ever got to the prime minister's ears."
In an interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday, he said he felt the PMO "acted as a bit of a filter," and that certain ministers had closer access to Trudeau, like childhood friends.
"There are occasions when a minister wants to talk directly to the prime minister. And I never felt, despite the fact that he said his door was always open, that was really something that he invited," he told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
Garneau served in Trudeau's cabinet from 2015 to 2021, first as minister of transport, then as minister of foreign affairs. He was dropped from cabinet in October 2021 but remained an MP until March 2023.
His autobiography, A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream, is scheduled to be released in October by Penguin Random House. The book partly chronicles Garneau's experience in politics.
Garneau writes that he was "surprised" to be named minister of transport, but it took little time for him to "fall in love" with the portfolio.
But in the few calls the two had with each other, Trudeau "did not seek my opinion on any issues," Garneau writes. "Generally speaking, he was not overly interested in Transport, unless a problem surfaced."
When Garneau was shuffled to foreign affairs — a move he describes in his book as unexpected — he writes that his new responsibilities did not bring him any closer to Trudeau.
Instead, he was only called once to offer advice at a meeting with then-ambassador to China Dominic Barton to discuss the status of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were imprisoned in China at the time.
"The prime minister's aloofness led me to conclude that he did not consider my advice useful enough to want to hear from me directly, relying instead on his staff," Garneau writes. "I found this disappointing, to say the least."
During his interview, Garneau said he still doesn't know why he was removed from Trudeau's cabinet.
"It was a punch in the gut. I was very disappointed," Garneau said. "I had a whole bunch of things I wanted to do at foreign affairs, but it was not to be."
As the Liberals continue to struggle in the polls, Garneau did not say whether Trudeau should quit as leader of the party.
Instead, he described Trudeau as "somebody who doesn't like to give up. He likes a good fight, and I think that he's made up his mind that he's going to fight that fight. So we'll see what happens."
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Twice in the past two weeks, the scenic country roads outside of London have been the scene of fatal vehicle collisions.
Public confidence in police accountability is down, especially among Indigenous people in Newfoundland and Labrador.
A Halifax search team warned Tuesday that "fraudulent individuals and organizations" are impersonating them and asking for money under the guise of trying to find Lilly and Jack Sullivan, the two Pictou County children who have been missing since May 2.
A Moncton jury found Michael Glaspy guilty Wednesday of manslaughter in the death of a casino manager who was fatally assaulted on the job two years ago.
The rapid growth of a massive wildfire in northwestern Manitoba has put yet another threatened community on alert.
Maritime employers in British Columbia and the union representing port foremen say they have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, after a dispute that saw workers locked out of container terminals last year.
The Edmonton Oilers won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers Wednesday after Leon Draisaitl netted his second of the night with 31 seconds remaining in overtime on a setup from Connor McDavid.
Health P.E.I. is collaborating with McMaster University in Ontario to help fast-track foreign-trained physicians become licenced work on the Island.
The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) is introducing temporary limit on how many new data centres can be added to the electrical grid, as the province experiences un unprecedented surge of project proposals.
Officials in British Columbia are warning of dangerous conditions for a raging wildfire on the B.C.-Alberta border in northeastern B.C., which has already resulted in evacuation orders.
A new 10-year education strategy being introduced in Yukon schools next year will test students' happiness, confidence and connection to the land, though the metric for measuring those goals haven't been shared yet.
Former astronaut and cabinet minister Marc Garneau has died. He was 76.
It's been a decade since Kathryn Furlan sat alone in the gallery of a Calgary courtroom but she returned Wednesday to bear witness, as the man who killed her daughter goes on trial a second time, once again accused of murdering a vulnerable woman he'd just met.