Carney’s New Top Adviser Is Former Justice Minister David Lametti

Then-Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti rises during question period in the House of Commons, on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, on May 16, 2022. The Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new principal secretary is David Lametti, the former justice minister has confirmed.

“Time to officially confirm a rumour that has been circulating for a while now: I have now joined the Prime Ministers team and on July 14 will assume the role of Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney,” Lametti announced in a July 9 social media post.

While Carney had not yet appointed a principal secretary since he was sworn-in as prime minister in March, some media outlets had reported that Lametti would become Carney’s top adviser this July.

Lametti previously served as minister of justice and attorney general of Canada from 2019 to 2023. He also served as Liberal MP for the LaSalle-Émard-Verdun riding in Montreal from 2015 until he stepped down from politics at the end of January last year following his removal from cabinet by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the summer 2023 cabinet shuffle.

After leaving politics last year, Lametti joined one of Canada’s largest law firms, Fasken, as counsel. In his July 9 social media post, Lametti said he “loved every minute” of his time at Fasken,.

The law firm congratulated Lametti on his appointment as Carney’s top advisor in a July 9 LinkedIn post, noting his contributions “particularly in the areas of Indigenous relations and AI.”

During his time as minister of justice and attorney general, Lametti passed 13 bills, including the removal of some mandatory minimum sentences and the ban on conversion therapy, which he described as some of his proudest work.

He was also the longest-serving Liberal justice minister in recent decades, with over four years in the role.

Before entering politics in 2015, Lametti was a law professor at McGill University, where he obtained a law degree in 1989. He also earned a master’s degree at Yale Law School in 1991 and a PhD at Oxford University in 1999, where he and Carney co-captained the Oxford Blues hockey team.

Other Top Positions Appointed

Carney was sworn-in as prime minister in mid-March, but has only lately begun to fill some of his top advisory roles.

Carney announced on June 1 that former United Nations ambassador Marc-André Blanchard would fill the role of his chief of staff beginning in July, replacing interim chief Marco Mendicino. Chief of staff is one of the most powerful positions in Ottawa.

Carney called Blanchard “one of Canada’s most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats,” in a June 1 social media post.

Blanchard was appointed by Trudeau as Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2016 until he joined the CDPQ, Quebec’s institutional investment arm, in 2020 as executive vice-president.

Carney also had ties to CDPQ prior to entering politics through his position as chair of investment firm Brookfield Assets Management. The firm announced in 2024 that it had raised $2.4 billion for the Catalytic Transition Fund, a climate investment vehicle, for which CDPQ was also an investment partner.

Similar to Carney, Blanchard has high-level public service experience, has chaired multiple boards, and has worked at the United Nations.

Carney appointed the head of Quebec’s public utility company Hydro-Québec, Michael Sabia, as the new Clerk of the Privy Council, which is the highest-ranking civil servant in the government.

The prime minister said Sabia’s experience in the public and private sectors would help the government fulfill its objective of building the “strongest economy in the G7.” Sabia was set to enter his new role on July 7.

Sabia previously served as deputy minister of finance in the federal government, chair of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, CEO of Bell Canada, CFO of Canadian National Railway, and president of CDPQ, among other roles.

Carney and Sabia shared leadership experience in their roles with the World Economic Forum. Sabia served as co-chair of the forum’s working group on infrastructure and development, while Carney was a former board member.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.