Prime Minister Mark Carney has revealed a significant reorganization of deputy ministers and top public servants in a widely anticipated restructuring within the Ottawa public service. A total of 12 individuals are set to assume new roles, leading to the appointment of new deputy ministers in eight different departments while bidding farewell to eight former deputy ministers.
Nick Leswick, previously the executive director for policy at the Bank of Canada, has been appointed as the new deputy minister of finance, while John McArthur, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., is joining the Privy Council Office as the deputy secretary for economic policy.
Marie-Josée Hogue, a puisne judge at the Court of Appeal of Quebec who spearheaded the federal inquiry into foreign interference last year, is taking on the roles of deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general.
Chris Fox, who previously served as deputy clerk of the privy council, will now serve as the deputy minister of defense. The appointment of Michael Sabia as the new clerk of the Privy Council earlier in the summer signals Prime Minister Carney’s continued influence on government operations through this reshuffle.
The clerk of the Privy Council holds the highest position in the public service, while deputy ministers are key figures within government departments. Alongside the recent changes, the Prime Minister’s Office has hinted at further adjustments in the senior ranks of the public service in the upcoming New Year.