Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Canada's New Government
• Change – Ever a Casualty in Canada
• New Cabinet Reveals Who Carney's "Mandate for Change" Serves
Report on the State of Canada's Defence Industry
Canada's New Government
Change -- Ever a Casualty in Canada
There is broad discontent with the entire economic and social conditions in Canada so it is not surprising Mark Carney says he stands for change. He is not alone. For the past forty years one prime minister after the other has claimed to stand for change. Nonetheless, change eludes Canadians.
So long as the content given to the conception of change is to deprive the people of power and of an outlook which favours them, change will continue to elude the working class and people. Far from enabling the working class and people to participate in formulating the change they and the society require, the entire spectacle of elections, nominating a new cabinet and subjecting them to the pomp and ceremony of having the King deliver the Throne Speech serves to depoliticize the people by having them subsumed by the policy debates which reduce everything to the policy objectives of the state. It serves the aim of making sure Canadians, Quebeckers and the Indigenous Peoples do not recognize that history is on their side. They are the makers of history, the agents of change. The change Mark Carney speaks about is crisis-ridden from the get-go. The promotion of investments to make the rich richer and speed up war preparations, spell gave dangers for not only Canada but for the cause of peace, freedom and democracy which the peoples of the world are striving to achieve.
Nonetheless, everything Mark Carney does is done in the name of "historic transformations" and change. The press statement issued by his office when the new cabinet was announced on May 13 said:
"Canada's new Ministry is built to deliver the change Canadians want and deserve. Everyone is expected and empowered to show leadership -- to bring new ideas, a clear focus, and decisive action to their work."
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), "Canadians elected this new government with a strong mandate to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States, to build a stronger economy, to reduce the cost of living, and to keep our communities safe. This focused team will act on this mandate for change with urgency and determination. "
At a press conference following the swearing in of the new cabinet Carney declared, "Our government will deliver its mandate for change with urgency and determination."
"We're going to deliver that mandate with a new team, purpose-built for this hinge moment in Canada's history," he said. "We are at the start of an industrial transformation," he claimed.
His government "will grow an economy" that "creates jobs, increases wages, and is resilient in the face of economic shock," Carney said. He said he would "fast-track legislation" for "nation-building investments," while affording itself of the greatest "opportunity" for Canada to reduce interprovincial trade barriers.
He has already promised to table legislation to eliminate federal regulations which impede interprovincial trade by July 1. He has also confirmed his attendance at a First Ministers meeting being held in Saskatoon on June 2 which is sure to reveal what the premiers are also willing to do.
Other legislative priorities Carney announced include "fighting 'unfair' tariffs in place from U.S. President Donald Trump, continuing negotiations in the trade war, and reinforcing trade relationships with reliable partners."
Carney was intent on hitting all the "right buttons." He said he will tackle "housing affordability" by creating "an entirely new Canadian housing industry in modular and pre-fabricated homes, using Canadian technology, Canadian skilled workers, and Canadian lumber."
All of it raises the question: what change is Carney talking about?
It is safe to say that working people who pay attention to the
experience of promised change during the past forty years since the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was first negotiated see
nothing in Carney's choice of ministers, secretaries of state and
announcements which will
benefit them. On the contrary, change is ever a casualty in Canada so
long as the direction of the economy is in the service of a ruling
class comprised of supranational narrow private interests and their
retinues.
Canada's industrial workers constitute a formidable revolutionary force in the objective sense but the relations within the country make sure they cannot make an impact on the direction of change.
At this time, when millions of workers are directly affected by Canada's trade relations with the United States and its war preparations, the signs indicate that whatever a Carney government seeks to negotiate with the United States will be, fundamentally, more of the same. The relations between Canadians and the Canadian state will not be changed. On the contrary, in the name of the greater good, national interest, national unity, national security and national prosperity, the disempowerment of Canadians will increase, as will their broad discontent with the entire economic and social conditions in Canada.
What
kind of nation is it that Carney espouses? It is not a nation built in
the image of the Canadian working class and people where they, not the
narrow supranational private interests which have usurped the powers of
the state, set the direction of the economy and determine who pays for
the changes which they decide they require.
The working class must constitute the nation and vest sovereignty in the people. That is the change Canadians, Quebeckers and the Indigenous Peoples require.
New Cabinet Reveals Who Carney's
"Mandate for Change" Serves
In announcing his cabinet, Prime Minister Mark Carney said his
government "will act to catalyze investment and build a new Canadian
economy -- one that creates higher-paying careers, raises incomes,
and can withstand future shocks."
He says his ministers "will work in collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to advance the nation-building investments that will support the government's core mission of building one strong, united economy -- the strongest economy in the G7."
The kind of "change" Carney will bring about remains to be seen but who it will favour is not a mystery. The issue of what measures he will fast-track and what they will do to the economy is known in general terms. Already federal and provincial governments give the private sector all kinds of incentives in the name of renewal of the economy, greening the economy, creating jobs, protecting workers, taking care of seniors, and the like. Investing in infrastructure, transportation, communications, energy and security corridors is the course all countries have set as priorities to modernize their economies, but the key question is who their economies serve. Hoping to overcome the crisis of the Canadian economy through financial manipulation and fiscal and budgetary policy as has been carried out thus far in Canada has not reversed the course of crisis, anarchy and violence which causes hardship and suffering to millions of people.
What requires attention is that when Carney speaks about the economy and his "mandate for change," he is not speaking about the basis, the foundation of the economy based on the ensemble of relations between humans and humans and humans and nature which reveals the need to empower the people. The current relations between those who govern and those who are governed, between the citizenry and the state reveal that if something is not done about the relations then the economy will remain mired in crisis.
Paying attention to the content of the relations between the members of the polity and the state is key to determining the kind of change Canadians require if a cure is to be found for what ails Canada's economy. What Carney is offering is private sector investments, while the improvements he is promising to the infrastructure will also assist the private sector. It is the private sector which uses the infrastructure which it is not possible for a private individual or group to establish. Furthermore, it is not profitable for the private sector to invest in infrastructure as it adds to its expenditures.
Like his predecessors, Mark Carney will burden
the economy by
handing over billions of dollars worth of already produced values to
the private sector while ensuring that the private sector further gains
through direct handouts, tax credits and incentives of all kinds
including trained workers
provided free of charge.
Carney's "mandate for change" will be revealed by his fast-tracked legislation, secret deals and the measures he takes.
Of the 28 Cabinet Ministers and 10 Secretaries of State Carney nominated, half come from the largest economies in Ontario and Quebec.
Five of the 28 Cabinet ministers and three of the secretaries of State are from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and not a few are from the private sector.
David McGuinty, now Minister of Defence, was Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Intelligence which is said to have given him "a comprehensive understanding of the Canadian security system," according to defence expert Wesley Wark. His job, Wark says, will be "to restore and rebuild the Canadian military and to deliver existing promises on Arctic security. He will be a key player going forward in trying to shape whatever new security partnership with the United States proves possible, including with regard to NORAD."
Another "key player" on the security file, Wark says, is former Minister of Defence Anita Anand who got the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Another commentator does not think much of her credentials nor those of the Secretary of State who will work with her. Freelance investigative journalist Justin Ling, in a story published by the Toronto Star, writes:
"If the wisdom of Anand's appointment (as Foreign Minister) is unclear, Carney's selection for her junior minister is downright perplexing. At a time when Canada desperately needs to step up in its contribution to global security and humanitarian assistance, Carney has selected Surrey MP Randeep Sarai.
"Sarai is lawyer and real estate mogul who had his license suspended in 2005 over a litany of complaints. A scathing decision from his regulatory body found his behaviour and professional failures "bizarre in the extreme." As an MP, Sarai made the obscene decision to invite Jaspal Atwal -- a man charged, but never convicted, for attacking former B.C. Premier Ujjal Dosanjh -- to join the prime minister's ill-fated trip to India in 2018. He has since been subject to a litany of bad press in the Indian media.
"Worst of all, Sarai has no experience in international development. He is, however, an effective political organizer."
Minister of Crown and Indigenous Affairs Rebecca Alty, MP for the Northwest Territories, was the mayor of Yellowknife from 2018 to 2025 and prior to that a city councillor from 2012 to 2018. She also served as communications director for the Diavik Diamond Mine in Yellowknife, which is owned by Rio Tinto. This indicates that a main thrust of her portfolio will likely be how to lay claim to critical minerals for the U.S war machine and that, amongst other places, she will be working with Doug Ford on the Ring of Fire.
Public Safety Minister, Gary Anandasangaree "served very briefly as Minister of Justice from March 2025 and has a track record as a human rights advocate, stemming originally from his experience as a Tamil fleeing Sri Lanka during its civil war," Wark writes. He will now preside over agencies such as CSIS, the RCMP and CBSA, Wark writes.
Tim Hodgson was appointed Minister for Natural Resources. His biography gives some idea of what to expect in that file.
"Tim Hodgson is a corporate director and [served] as Chair of Hydro One. He also [served] on the boards of Dialogue Health Technologies and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments).
"Timothy was formerly Managing Partner of Alignvest Management Corporation from 2012 until his retirement in August 2019. He was Special Advisor to Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada, from 2010 to 2012. From 1990 to 2010, Timothy held various positions in New York, London, Silicon Valley and Toronto with Goldman Sachs and served as Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs Canada from 2005 to 2010, with overall responsibilities for the firm's operations, client relationships and regulatory matters.
"Timothy's prior directorships include Sagicor Financial Corporation, Sagicor Group Jamaica, MEG Energy, Alignvest Acquisition Corporation, Alignvest Acquisition II Corporation, The Global Risk Institute, KGS-Alpha Capital Markets, NEXT Canada, the Ivey School of Business and Bridgepoint Health.
"He holds a Masters of Business Administration from The Ivey School of Business at Western University and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Manitoba. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA) and holds his ICD.D."
And so goes what is called "investigative
journalism" and expert
opinion. After all is said and done,
Canadians are none the wiser about
why Carney picked who for what but they
will now find out as this ministry goes
into action fast and furious to commit
Canada to a course which causes both Canada
and its working people harm.
The first cabinet meeting takes place today and many of the more
seasoned ministers as well as Carney himself have joined the talking
heads reinforcing the Carney message. Meanwhile, NATO Foreign Ministers
are meeting in Istanbul, Turkey working for the first time with new
plans pushed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte since he returned
from talks with U.S. President Trump at the end of April. The plans are
to increase military spending on NATO to five per cent of gross
domestic product (GDP). According to this plan, 3.5 per cent of GDP is
to be spent directly on the armed forces and 1.5 per cent of GDP is
earmarked for infrastructure preparations for war. The increase could
be agreed upon in six weeks at the NATO summit in The Hague, news
agencies report.
Also
this week, on Sunday May 18, the new Pope in Rome holds his inaugural
mass in St. Peter's Square. Canada's Prime Minister will be present to
not only promote what he calls Canadian values which will jive with
those promoted by Leo XIV but also, while in Rome, to meet with the
other Heads of State and government with whom he is conniving ahead of
the G7 Summit of Heads of State which will be held in Kananaskis,
Alberta on June 16-17.
Despite claims that the Roman Church is
not political, the values Leo XIV promotes in a manner that
claims to speak in the name of peace and humanitarianism are in fact
highly political. They espouse the policies of the European
nation-states in their confrontation with non-western countries and
their nation-building projects
Readers can track Carney's performance and
what his ministers are up to for themselves
and
analyze what this indicates about the kind
of change the Carney
government will enforce. They can discuss
how they themselves can intervene in a
manner which favours their own interests,
not the narrow supranational private
interests setting Canada's direction at this
time.
Canadians and Quebeckers will make a good
start on May 19 when they raise the demand
for Victoria Day to be renamed Patriot's
Day. Across the country as well as throughout Quebec, they will celebrate
Canada's patriots who they themselves
identify, not the empire-builders whose
values the Canadian state considers
foundational.
For the list of cabinet appointees, click here.
Report on the State of Canada's Defence Industry
Partners in Crime
The
Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) is the
main military industry association in Canada, and is, along with the
Government of Canada, the organizer of the CANSEC merchants of death
trade show in Ottawa on May 28-29. Though CADSI presents itself as
another "lobby group", the State of Canada's Defence Industry 2024
Report indicates that CADSI is an integral part of the Canadian State
and that so-called government representatives are simply salesmen,
middlemen and quite possibly shareholders in companies that produce
weapons of mass destruction, irrespective of whether their use is for
genocide or aggression or for a Third World War, and irrespective of
human rights and international law and conventions.
The following comments from the CADSI website confirm this: "Each year, the government of Canada and CADSI work together to engage a diverse global community at CANSEC. From key prime contractors to supply chain representatives, CANSEC draws experts from all parts of the industry. Where else can you network and engage with a captive audience of senior military and government representatives, international delegations and industry decision-makers?"
The
State of Canada's Defence Industry 2024 Report
was issued in the
Spring of 2024. The Report Objective is said to be "to develop
relevant,
quality, and timely strategic information on Canadian production
of defence
goods and services to brief policy and industry decision makers."
The Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website points out that the report is supported by a multi-year collaborative analytics agreement between Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI).
ISED & CADSI
The report presents a statistical overview of Canadian defence industry activities in 2022, based on the most recent data available. It also provides a comparative analysis into the state of the Canadian defence industry between 2020 and 2022. It is pointed out that the consultation was held with industry and government stakeholders and policy decision-makers on their priority data requirements.
Some of the highlights include:
Canada's defence industry:
- Grew across all key industrial indicators between 2020 and 2022;
- Generated over $14.3B in revenues from its more than 585 firms across all three domains;
- Contributed over 81,200 jobs to the Canadian economy;
- Was national in scope, with regional specializations;
- Was over 2.5X more STEM-intensive (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and over 3X more R&D-intensive (Research and Development) than the broader manufacturing sector;
- Had close to 55 per cent of its supply chain expenditures with Canadian-based suppliers;
- Exported over $7.0B in goods and services, of which close to 70 per cent was to Canada's Five Eyes partners.
Annex 7 is a chart of Canadian Defence
Industry Exports. Among other
things, it shows that arms exports to the U.S. increased from
$3,204,296,920 in 2020, to $4,431, 692,402 in 2022, an increase of
$1,227,395,482.
The same chart has a heading: Middle East and Africa. A footnote explains that The Middle East is comprised of Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, with Israel unassumingly slipped in as if it is just another State and not a war criminal and main recipient of the arms and warplanes that allow them to carry on their genocide against the Palestinian people.
Another fact that stands out is the extent to which science and research and development are diverted from nation-building and social investments to serve the parasitical military industry.
(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)
Website: www.cpcml.ca • Email: editor@cpcml.ca