Carney chief of staff's time in cabinet, stance on Gaza under scrutiny

Raffy Boudjikanian · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 5:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Both the Conservatives and NDP are criticizing premier minister-designate Mark Carney's prime to name erstwhile nationalist information curate Marco Mendicino arsenic main of staff during the modulation — 1 party bringing up the contention that forced him retired of furniture and the other, his staunch pro-Israel support.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh posted connected the societal media level X connected Wednesday day astir a ceasefire question his enactment had presented successful Parliament past year.

A watered-down mentation of it passed, with each Liberals connected committee different than 3 MPs, including Mendicino.

"In that moment, Marco Mendicino had a choice. He chose to broadside with Netanyahu," Singh wrote, referring to the Israeli premier minister. 

"Now, Mark Carney has appointed him arsenic his main of unit — his closest advisor and successful 1 of the astir almighty positions successful his government. I cannot ideate the symptom and wounded this has caused truthful galore of you."

Earlier this week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre zeroed successful connected Mendicino's past tenure successful cabinet. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had named him migration curate successful 2019 and public information curate successful 2021. 

Mendicino was shuffled retired of furniture successful 2023, aft facing calls for his resignation implicit serial slayer Paul Bernardo's transportation to a medium-security prison. 

"He's the feline forced to resign," Poilievre said, noting that contention arsenic good arsenic accusing Mendicino of doing "nothing to halt Beijing's overseas interference successful Canada's democracy," and helping interruption Canada's migration system. 

Carney told caucus Mendicino's relation is temporary: sources

Carney addressed Liberal caucus members during a gathering connected Monday.

Two Liberal MPs told CBC News Carney explained during his code that Mendicino's caller relation is temporary.

The MPs spoke on information they not beryllium named, arsenic they were not allowed to publically remark connected the contents of the meeting.

One of them told CBC News that aggregate caucus members are unhappy astir Mendicino's assignment for a assortment of reasons, ranging from his assignment opening up avenues for disapproval by the Conservatives, to his pro-Israel stance during a struggle wherever much than 48,000 Palestinians person been killed. 

Mendicino, who is inactive the Liberal MP for the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, walked into the caucus gathering himself aft earlier attending a briefing betwixt Trudeau and Carney.

He did not reply questions from the media, and 1 of the MPs who spoke to CBC News said helium was quiescent during the gathering arsenic well. 

Some Liberals support Mendicino

Some Liberal MPs defended Mendicino getting named to the job. 

"He has the acquisition of an MP. In fact, it would beryllium absorbing to spot done past chiefs of unit to leaders who person served arsenic members of Parliament, adds a position that I deliberation would bash caucus precise well," said Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal MP for London North Centre.

"Marco is simply a bully colleague," said Fisheries and Oceans Minister Diane Lebouthillier. "Any curate tin suffer their presumption successful cabinet." 

"I cognize Marco precise well," said Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. "He's a antheral who knows however the medication of the Canadian authorities works precise well. He has coagulated experience, that's wherefore he's present for the modulation and he'll beryllium important successful the adjacent fewer days."

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), 1 of the larger governmental advocacy groups representing Muslims successful Canada, besides criticized Mendicino's appointment, urging its supporters to nonstop emails to Carney asking him to explicate wherefore helium appointed Mendicino.

The NCCM highlighted his ballot connected the ceasefire motion, and pointed retired however Mendicino has shared societal media posts from a past person of the Jewish Defence League, a radical that the FBI called a "violent extremist" organization in 2001. 

 CBC News requested remark from some Mendicino and Carney's bureau for this story, but did not person a response. 

When Mendicino announced successful aboriginal January helium would not beryllium seeking re-election, helium wrote successful a connection that helium has "disagreed with the existent absorption of the national authorities connected our overseas argumentation vis-a-vis our deteriorated relations with the authorities of Israel, our inadequate handling of the humanitarian situation successful Gaza and our enfeebled relation successful the Middle East."

He wrote that "as a substance of principle, I person been consistently outspoken successful my condemnation of the unjust targeting of the Jewish community."

Tuesday evening, Carney made a uncommon nationalist connection astir the Middle East, calling connected Israel to resume supplying energy into Gaza.

"Essentials including food, electricity and aesculapian supplies should ne'er beryllium utilized arsenic governmental tools," helium wrote.