Exit Bonus Bonanza: Trudeau Stacks Deck with Last-Minute Jobs
The Government of Canada, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has moved decisively to ensure continuity and stability by making 88 future appointments to agencies and Crown corporations since January 6, 2025—the day Trudeau announced his resignation as Liberal leader and prime minister. These orders-in-council, finalized between January 6 and March 11, include roles set to activate weeks or months after the next federal election, with some extending as far as November 2025.
The appointments, which do not require parliamentary approval, range from modest per diem positions to high-profile executive roles exceeding $200,000 annually. Highlights include:
- Donald Obonsawin, promoted to vice-chair of the Canadian Museum of Nature’s board, effective May 18, 2025, for four years.
- Jonathan Goldbloom, reappointed as Via Rail board chairman, effective April 12, 2025, for five years.
- Pierre Pettigrew, former Liberal cabinet minister, renewed as chair of the Asia Pacific Foundation, effective July 1, 2025, for three years.
- Carol Shirtliff-Hinds and Christopher Sutton, tapped for seven-year terms as deputy director of public prosecutions and accessibility commissioner, respectively, starting in April and May 2025.
- Between January 6 and March 11, the Trudeau government completed 231 appointments—nearly double the 123 made in the same period in 2024. This includes filling all vacant Senate seats, ensuring no openings until Conservative Senator Don Plett’s retirement on May 14, 2025. Most appointees are secured “on good behaviour,” requiring cause for removal, with terms ranging from months to seven years. Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon, who made 26 future appointments—many to the Social Security Tribunal—defended the move: “These are standard, transparent, merit-based decisions to ensure Canadians have access to fair and timely services like employment insurance and pensions.”
The pace quickened post-resignation, contrasting with past delays that left 416 order-in-council positions vacant or expired in August 2023. In 2015, then-Conservative PM Stephen Harper’s 49 future appointments drew ire from Liberals, with Dominic LeBlanc—now Finance Minister—calling them “an abuse of process.” Today, LeBlanc’s office deferred to the PMO, which has yet to comment. Prime minister-designate Mark Carney’s team also remains silent on whether these moves were coordinated or will be honored post-swearing-in on March 14 at 11 a.m. EDT.
Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer slammed the appointments: “In Trudeau’s final days, Liberals are stuffing plush posts with insiders while dodging a crisis. It’s self-interest over service.” Scheer sidestepped Harper’s precedent but questioned Trudeau’s non-partisan Senate pledge, noting many appointees’ Liberal ties.
From filling Senate seats to securing tribunal roles, these moves aim to anchor governance beyond Trudeau’s tenure. For a full list of appointments, visit www.ordersincouncil.canada.ca. The PMO invites public scrutiny as Canada transitions to new leadership under Carney.