Carney to name former minister Jonathan Wilkinson as next EU envoy: sources
April 30, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney will officially announce later today that MP and former cabinet minister Jonathan Wilkinson will be Canada's next ambassador to the European Union, according to Liberal sources.
Wilkinson has long been rumoured to be up for the job as Canada hasn't had an ambassador to the EU block since the fall.
The B.C. MP held senior cabinet roles as environment minister and natural resources minister under former prime minister 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.
It's not clear when Wilkinson will take up his new diplomatic post, but he will need to vacate his seat before moving on to Brussels.
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.
Source: www.cbc.ca