Who is Dominic LeBlanc, Justin Trudeau’s right-hand man?

He became the superminister in Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet on Monday, holding four portfolios. Some have even nicknamed him the government’s “janitor” because he cleans up messes. Who is Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s new Minister of Finance?

A father governor general

Few people can boast of having babysat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was a child. Dominic LeBlanc, yes. His father Roméo LeBlanc was a minister in the cabinet of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin’s father. The two men, who have a difference of four years, have been around each other for decades and maintain a long friendship. Dominic LeBlanc has been involved in politics since the age of 5, when his father was first elected as a federal deputy. Subsequently, he was appointed to the Senate, then, around ten years later, Governor General of Canada.

Dominic LeBlanc grew up in Ottawa while spending his summers in New Brunswick, his native province. He returned there to study law before earning a master’s degree at Harvard University. He has always been very attached to his Acadian roots. His team was quick to point out that he is the first Minister of Finance from New Brunswick after Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, one of the Fathers of Confederation, in 1878.

He has won eight elections in the Beauséjour constituency since 2000. However, illness has not spared him. He came close to death after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2019, from which he was cured thanks to a stem cell transplant received at Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital in Montreal.

Loyal to Justin Trudeau

The day after his swearing in at Finance on Monday, Dominic LeBlanc presented the government’s plan to strengthen border security to try to avoid the 25% tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to impose on imported Canadian products. in the United States. When a journalist asked him how he was going to combine all these functions, he responded straight away. “I guess I’ll start early in the morning and work late at night and probably won’t take many weekends off,” he said. He is naturally “calm, calm and laughing”, according to those around him.

It is this composure that transpired during question period on Tuesday, the day after the unprecedented crisis triggered by the resignation of his predecessor, Chrystia Freeland. With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau absent, it was Mr. LeBlanc who responded to his conservative adversaries. “I would like to start by thanking the opposition House leader for his sincere congratulations,” he quipped when Andrew Scheer described the crisis as a gong show in the middle of a fiasco.

He then defended the government’s economic update, even though the deficit target for 2023-2024 was missed by 20 billion. He kept the same calm tone in his interviews thereafter. Mr. LeBlanc remains loyal to Justin Trudeau and has said several times since Monday that he would continue to support him if he chooses to remain as prime minister.

The negotiator

Maybe he should have written The Art of the Dealthe book published in 1987 on Donald Trump’s method of negotiating. “Dominic is someone who will invite you to Moncton to smoke a cigar, and that’s often where the deal will be made,” says a former political employee who worked with him for around ten years. , but whose current job prevents him from expressing himself openly. It was Mr. LeBlanc that the Prime Minister brought to Mar-a-Lago a few weeks ago to meet Mr. Trump.

He is known for his ease in communicating with people – he always has an anecdote to tell to make them laugh. We also highlight his ability to move forward on the most difficult issues. “He has a good ear and he knows how to conclude agreements, that is to say, seek win-win gains,” underlines this former political employee.

Nathalie Provost from PolySeSouvient confirms this. She worked closely with Mr. LeBlanc after his appointment as Minister of Public Safety in July 2023. The confidence of the group that advocates for gun control was at its lowest after the fiasco of “Bill C-21 “. There were disgruntled people on both sides. “He understands the issues, he knows how to communicate his objectives and a deal is not impossible [pour lui]he tries for a long time,” she points out. It recently added 324 models of military-style assault weapons to the list of prohibited weapons. Several sources also told us that it was he who unblocked the health agreement with the Quebec government.

Will he be the best person in Finance?

Some doubt it, notably the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet. “For finances, it takes someone who has very high level skills in economics. And in all friendship, Dominic LeBlanc doesn’t have that. I can’t imagine him tabling a budget,” he points out in an interview.

Mr. LeBlanc has no ties to finance or the business world, unlike Mr.^me Freeland who had already worked for the Financial Times and wrote several books. THE Globe and Mail reported Thursday that some on Bay Street are having doubts. Will he really be the Minister of Finance, or will he just obey the Prime Minister’s demands?

During an interview the day after his appointment, he was unable to tell host Patrick Lagacé from 98.5 to how much Canada’s debt was. “I will have all that information in my discussion with officials later today,” he replied. Others who have worked with him believe that his ability to master issues quickly and his long political experience will compensate.