When Mark Carney assumed the Prime Minister’s Office, the question on everyone’s lips was: can he translate his international business gravitas into public sector functionality? We’re beginning to get an answer. And it’s not just a refreshing new start — on some levels, it’s a complete gear shift.
The Carney government is clearly intent on breaking from the past, starting with cabinet governance.
First, the mandate letter. Singular. Not plural. In a move as symbolic as it is strategic, Carney issued a single, codified mandate letter to his entire cabinet.
The idea? Set a unified direction for government, lay out the core national priorities, and then let ministers shape their own portfolios within that strategic frame.
This is a marked departure from previous governments, where ministers were handed laundry lists of pet initiatives and siloed priorities. Carney’s approach signals something different: clarity over clutter, flexibility over prescription. It’s an invitation to lead — and a test of who can.
It’s not about decentralization or ambiguity. Quite the opposite. It’s about accountability. Because while ministers have space to define their paths, they are also expected to measure and report on their progress. This will force ministers to define success before they claim it and opens the door for a genuine performance culture in Ottawa.
That’s where the second big change comes in: data. Each cabinet minister has been tasked with building a set of key metrics for progress to be tracked and reported against.
Policy, meet performance. The move brings private sector discipline into government, without pretending the two are the same.
I’m not for a minute suggesting the federal government can, or should, be run like a business. It’s not. The incentives, the stakeholders, the accountability mechanisms, are all different. But there is value in being more businesslike. In prioritizing efficiency and ROI, remembering every dollar comes from a citizen, not a shareholder.
And there’s the rub: governments can’t walk away from unprofitable markets. They’re on the hook for providing for seniors, delivering affordable housing, ensuring food security, and supporting rural communities — regardless of ROI. So, while discipline is welcome, it must be paired with public-minded patience. Success won’t just be margin-based; it’ll also be measured in trust.
Carney knows this. And he’s surrounding himself with people who know it, too.
Yet one of the most important staffing decisions he will make in these early days isn’t in cabinet, but in the corner office next to his: the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff.
Carney is new to electoral politics. That means he needs more than a taskmaster. He needs a unicorn. A seasoned operator with political chops, business fluency, and diplomatic sensitivity.
Someone who can connect the boldness of Carney’s vision with government’s machinery and personalities. Someone who can push, pull, and rally ministers and their staff to align and deliver.
This appointment will be a tell: is Carney willing to share power in the service of execution? Or will he try to do it all himself? The latter is simply unsustainable.
And then there’s the civil service. To the extent possible, we need public servants back in the office. Canadian government employees still lag in returning to physical workplaces, and this needs to be rectified if the government is to maximize professionalism and productivity as part of its bold agenda.
Treasury Board policy requires core federal public servants to work on-site at least three days per week. But compliance is lacking. For instance, in December 2024, the Department of National Defence reported a national compliance rate of just 31 per cent.
This isn’t about nostalgia or control. It’s about performance, culture, and cohesion — these all suffer when people are disconnected.
Even the private sector, with all its flexibility, is calling its people back to HQ. Government is no exception. If anything, the stakes are higher.
None of this will guarantee success. But it does mark a serious effort to rewire the habits of a government that has become too lackadaisical.
The best governments don’t just have vision. They have operating systems that allow that vision to take root.
Carney, it appears, is building one. Now comes the hard part: delivering.