Opposition parties slam Trudeau cabinet's future appointments to government agencies

Elizabeth Thompson · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 15, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney should reappraisal a bid of aboriginal appointments made by his predecessor's authorities and shouldn't automatically judge them, Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May said Friday.

In an interrogation with CBC News, May said appointments person to beryllium filled but it was "a immense mistake" to marque truthful galore of those appointments successful the last days of Justin Trudeau's government. 

"Any last-minute appointments of radical who, I'm beauteous sure, are apt to beryllium Liberals, raises the worst imaginable governmental optics and it reinforces the thought that Trudeau was aiding and abetting his cronies throughout."

May likened the Trudeau government's aboriginal appointments to those made by Pierre Trudeau successful 1984, which wounded Liberal Leader John Turner successful the predetermination run that swept Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Mulroney to power.

"Carney's going to beryllium hoist with that petard for sure. Because wherefore bash you judge a full whack of appointments, for appointments that haven't terminated yet, and they are reappointed earlier their best-before day has arrived?" said May.

"That's going to stink to precocious eden for astir voters."

May's comments travel aft CBC News revealed that Trudeau's government stacked authorities agencies and Crown corporations with dozens of aboriginal appointments and aboriginal assignment renewals, galore of which volition lone spell into effect weeks and months aft the upcoming election.

An investigation of order-in-council appointments made since Jan. 6, erstwhile Trudeau announced helium would measurement down arsenic premier minister, recovered 88 aboriginal appointments, immoderate scheduled to spell into effect arsenic precocious arsenic November.

Some of the aboriginal appointments are for part-time positions that wage humble per diems but others are for elder executives oregon advisers making much than $200,000 a year.

While immoderate of those benefiting from the aboriginal appointments person ties to the Liberal Party, galore others bash not.

The Prime Minister's Office has yet to respond to questions from CBC News astir the appointments.

May said Carney should enactment rapidly to woody with the aboriginal appointments earlier they go fodder to onslaught him during an predetermination debate.

"Carney would beryllium astute to get retired up of it and accidental that his furniture is going to conscionable and reappraisal each of them and they are not automatic," she said.

NDP MP Niki Ashton was besides captious of the aboriginal appointments made by the outgoing Trudeau government.

"I deliberation Canadians would beryllium shocked to perceive that the Liberals who decried the precise aforesaid happening from Harper, spent their past hours successful Parliament looking retired for their friends — successful information making much appointments than Harper," Ashton told reporters.

Ashton said the NDP could inquire Carney to "roll back" immoderate of the appointments that haven't started yet. She said the government's precedence should beryllium connected the system and defending Canadians.

"This isn't the clip for partisan games," said Ashton. "This is the clip for each hands to beryllium connected platform and walk each of the vigor we person defending Canadian workers and Canadian communities nether menace by Donald Trump and his economical warfare connected our country."

Thursday, Conservative Opposition House person Andrew Scheer criticized the aboriginal appointments, accusing Trudeau's authorities of helping Liberal insider friends with "plush posts."

His connection was silent, though, connected the aboriginal appointments made successful the dying days of the Harper government.