## Notes from 17 March 2026 [[2026-03-16|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-03-18|Next note →]] I came across a [CBC piece](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-trudeau-government-appointments-9.7069060) today on how [[Mark Carney]] is handling senior appointments differently from Trudeau. Trudeau built an appointment system based in three main components: public postings through a central website, independent advisory boards for candidate assessments, and standardized processes even for part-time board positions. The whole thing was designed to look transparent and merit-based. Anyone could apply, boards would vet candidates, and the PM would pick from vetted shortlists. Now Carney's doing something different. According to the CBC reporting, they're not running open competitions for major roles anymore. The government is basically headhunting people they want rather than waiting for people to apply. The appointments website went dormant for months in late 2025 and early 2026. It's a shift from bottom-up applications to top-down recommendations. |Dimension|Trudeau Model (2016-2024)|Carney Model (2025-present)| |---|---|---| |Primary mechanism|Open competition via central portal|Proactive executive recruitment| |Candidate sourcing|Public applications|Targeted headhunting| |Selection authority|Independent advisory boards provide shortlists|Clerk of Privy Council recommendations| |Process visibility|Published timelines and criteria|Discretionary, case-by-case| |Underlying philosophy|Democratize access, reduce patronage perception|Secure specialized expertise through networks|