Carney’s cabinet ministers evade journalists’ questions at defence industry show

Minister of Industry Melanie Joly rises during question period on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — For the second time in as many days, a member of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet cancelled media availabilities Thursday and refused to take questions from reporters.

Industry Minister Melanie Joly blew past reporters at CANSEC, Canada’s largest military trade show, where ministers normally make themselves available to the media.

Defence David McGuinty also ignored media questions at CANSEC the day before and evaded reporters by ducking into a VIP area.

Joanna Kanga, Joly’s spokeswoman, said Joly cancelled because she had a “conflicting meeting” and had no time at all to take questions.

It all suggests a shift in communications strategy within the government of Carney, which seems to be keeping its ministers on a shorter leash than former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

It also comes after two of Carney’s ministers departed from the government’s script — Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault by holding forth on pipeline policy and Housing Minister Gregor Robertson by saying that housing prices should not go down.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.