Carney names former minister Jonathan Wilkinson as next EU envoy

MP and former cabinet minister Jonathan Wilkinson will be Canada’s next ambassador to the European Union, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday.

“With his vast experience as a minister, entrepreneur, and businessperson, Jonathan Wilkinson will drive this mission to help create greater security, prosperity, and sustainability on both sides of the Atlantic,” Carney said in a statement.

Wilkinson has long been rumoured to be up for the job as Canada hasn’t had an ambassador to the EU bloc since the fall. Wilkinson will take up his new role this summer, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Wilkinson replaces former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion who Carney thanked “for his distinguished service and contributions.”

Wilkinson said his appointment is a “very emotional moment” for him and his family because it means stepping aside as an MP.​

“This decision was not easy,” he said in a statement on X. “Representing this community and serving all Canadians at the Cabinet table has been the greatest honour of my professional life. But 2026 is not 2015. The world has changed in fundamental ways, and Canada now faces new economic, geopolitical, and environmental tests.”

Today, I’ve accepted the Prime Minister’s invitation to serve as Canada’s Ambassador to the European Union.brbrI take on this role for the same reason I entered public life: to serve Canada.brbrThank you for your trust, your candour, and your belief that we can always do better.… a href=”https://t.co/0uA51RW8r9″pic.twitter.com/0uA51RW8r9/a

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Wilkinson said that he has accepted the posting because of his deep “commitment to Canada and a belief that, at this moment, this is where I can contribute most.”

Wilkinson held senior cabinet roles as environment minister and natural resources minister under Justin Trudeau, but wasn’t named to Carney’s cabinet after last year’s election.

First elected in 2015, Wilkinson has comfortably held his North Vancouver riding — renamed North Vancouver-Capilano last year — for the Liberals through four elections.

Wilkinson’s absence will bring Carney’s thin majority government down one seat, but the Liberals will still control the House with 172 seats (not counting the Speaker) to the opposition’s combined 169 seats.

Article source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jonathan-wilkinson-eu-ambassador-9.7182076?cmp=rss