Prime Minister Mark Carney has quietly installed Marc-André Blanchard as his chief of staff — a shadowy Trudeau-era insider who’s wielded influence over the makeup of cabinet since former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s rise to power in 2015.
Canada’s former representative to the United Nations will officially take over the top role in the Prime Minister’s Office in July, replacing former Liberal MP Marco Mendicino, who is stepping down as Carney’s interim chief of staff and is widely expected to run for Toronto mayor in 2026.
While the appointment was briefly mentioned in a social media post, what went unsaid speaks volumes. Blanchard is no ordinary staffer — he played the role of gatekeeper for consecutive cabinets during Trudeau’s multiple terms in office.
“I am pleased to announce that Marc-André Blanchard will serve as my Chief of Staff beginning in July,” Carney said in a post on X.
Blanchard’s name first surfaced in Liberal transition documents following the 2015 election, where he was enlisted to personally vet Trudeau’s cabinet ministers — interviewing candidates to assess their ideological alignment and detect any “skeletons in the closet.”
The Globe and Mail reported in 2019 that Trudeau sought to put Blanchard in an official top advisory position replacing longtime friend and advisor Gerald Butts. Though the plan was never formalized publicly, insiders say Blanchard remained a trusted voice in Trudeau’s ear — and now, seemingly, Carney’s.
Blanchard has acted as an informal advisor to Trudeau in the past, advising his cabinet appointments and decision-making similar to current Prime Minister Mark Carney, who acted as an economic advisor.
He shares similar views with Carney on the climate agenda and has appeared on multiple globalist sustainability forums boasting about net-zero policies and measures.
Blanchard also previously held an executive role at the CDPQ Global investment group which has collaborated on multiple projects with Carney’s former company Brookfield Asset Management.
Blanchard’s appointment comes as Carney prepares for a meeting with Canada’s Premiers today and a G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta later this month.
Carney’s current interim chief of staff, Mendicino, a former Toronto MP and cabinet minister under Justin Trudeau, was brought in after the Liberal leadership race concluded with a Carney victory last March.
His appointment drew criticism from both the NDP and Conservatives over his tenure in the Trudeau government.
“He’s the guy forced to resign,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre posted at the time, referring to Mendicino’s cabinet departure in 2023 following multiple controversies.
Mendicino’s involvement in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests through the invocation of the Emergencies Act represents one of his most significant scandals.
The invocation of the Emergencies Act was later deemed unconstitutional.
Mendicino also faced large backlash over the transfer of serial killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison.
The NDP also complained about Mendicino’s involvement in Carney’s government citing his refusal to support an NDP-led motion last year calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.