Overview
- Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the appointment Thursday, with the Prime Minister’s Office saying Wilkinson will start in the summer.
- Wilkinson said he will vacate his North Vancouver—Capilano seat in the coming months, triggering a by-election and trimming the Liberals’ narrow majority by one seat.
- His arrival will end a vacancy dating to September that Ottawa has covered with a temporary personal representative, former senior civil servant John Hannaford.
- Carney will attend the European Political Community summit in Yerevan this weekend, a forum set up after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- A former environment and natural resources minister, Wilkinson will steer files on trade, climate rules, digital policy, taxes and defence-industry ties that link Canadian firms with EU financing.