Vancouver’s Gregor Robertson new federal minister of housing

Prime Minister Mark Carney named his new cabinet on Tuesday, and in that, a local B.C. face takes over a major portfolio.

Former Vancouver mayor turned Vancouver Fraserview-South Burnaby MP Gregor Robertson has been named the federal minister of housing.

Robertson has also been named the minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada.

Tuesday’s cabinet reveal also included moving several key players involved in Canada-U.S. relations into new positions.

Carney’s cabinet — made up of 28 full ministers and 10 secretaries of state — retains major figures from former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government, including Dominic LeBlanc, Mélanie Joly, Chrystia Freeland, and François-Philippe Champagne.

University of British Columbia political science lecturer Stewart Prest describes the new cabinet as “very much a Mark Carney cabinet.”

“He’s putting people in place that he has personal connections to. I think he was able to even recruit back a couple of MPs who were planning to step aside and not run again, like Anita Anand and Sean Fraser, and find them places in cabinet,” Prest told 1130 NewsRadio on Tuesday.

“And likewise, rewarding Wayne Long — he was one of the early actors to call for Justin Trudeau to step aside. So, there was a space there for folks who have been supportive of a change and who are specifically there because of Mark Carney,” he explained.

Long has been appointed as a secretary of state — effectively a junior minister with a lower salary, smaller office budgets, fewer staff, and fewer statutory authorities.

While there are a few faces from B.C. alongside Robertson, including Minister of Veterans Affairs Jill McKnight and Secretary of State Randeep Sarai, Prest explains that the majority of the postings have been filled by MPs from Ontario and Quebec. “It is a central Canadian cabinet, in many ways,” he said.

“I think it is a signal that this government will have to work hard to keep in mind the things that are affecting voters west of Kelowna, and that it is going to not be able to take for granted, the continued support of folks in B.C. that have been voting Liberal,” he said. “And, of course … Alberta and Saskatchewan and parts of Manitoba, the Liberal government is going to have its hands full finding ways to work with the rest of the prairie provinces,” Prest explained.

As for Robertson taking over the housing portfolio, Prest says that Vancouver and B.C. are the “ground zero” for the housing crisis in Canada.

“His presence there, I think can provide some reassurance to British Columbians that the things that matter most to the province are going to be front and centre for the government, and indeed, the fact that Mr. Robertson was mayor of Vancouver, in many ways the municipal government is the front line dealing with housing,” he explained.

“It means that there is going to be a connectivity there where the person making the decisions at the federal level regarding funding for housing and so on, will have a first-hand knowledge of the real sticking points in terms of actually getting housing built in these urban areas,” Prest added.

As the country continues to navigate a trade war with the U.S., Prest explains that consistency is important when it comes to foreign affairs, “but even more so when you’re dealing with someone who is so inconsistent,” like President Donald Trump.

“So, having that continuity there, we have some shifting of roles, but the main players remain the same. So we are going to see significant presence from Dominic LeBlanc and from Mélanie Joly, and Chrystia Freeland will also continue to be involved in dealing with internal issues in Canada as well, which is a key part of our positioning,” Prest shared.

“So that core leadership, proven in many ways, is still there, but it is at the same time, a new government under Mark Carney.”

Parliament is slated to return on May 26, and Carney has announced that King Charles will deliver the speech from the throne the next day.

You can watch CityNews 24/7 live or listen live to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver to keep up to date with this story. You can also subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

With files from The Canadian Press and Dean Recksiedler.