Industry Minister Joly Rejects Rumours She Is Pursuing French Ambassador Post

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is dismissing rumours that she is contemplating a move away from politics to take on the position of Canada’s ambassador to France as part of an upcoming cabinet shuffle.

Joly told reporters during a virtual press conference from Tokyo on Nov. 26 that she has no interest in the position.

“Absolutely not,” Joly responded when asked about leaving politics for a diplomatic role. “I’m focused on my job right now, which is to be the minister of industry and to fight for every single job in this country at a time of trade tensions.”

Questions about Joly’s future emerged after the Toronto Sun cited several anonymous sources in a report earlier this week saying she is seeking the position of Canada’s ambassador to France. There has also been talk about Prime Minister Mark Carney shuffling his cabinet in January.

Joly told reporters during her press conference she wants to maintain her industry portfolio amid economic challenges facing Canadian industry.

“I think also what is really important is I have a very strong sense of duty toward my country, and I’m very much aware that we have to be able to engage with the private sector and also with governments,” she said. “Two of my expertise, which is business and at the same time geopolitics, are actually very useful for Canada right now.”

Former Liberal cabinet minister Stéphane Dion has been serving as the French ambassador since his 2022 appointment by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Joly has been a cabinet minister since 2015. She has served as minister of Canadian heritage; minister of tourism, official languages and La Francophonie; minister of economic development; and minister of foreign affairs and international development. In addition to her current industry portfolio, she is also the minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec regions.

Diplomatic Appointments

Speculation about Joly’s future is emerging less than a week after the appointment of Liberal MP and former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland to a new role next July overseeing the Rhodes Trust, a British educational charity that funds the Rhodes Scholarship.

Freeland has yet to reveal any plans to resign from her role as an MP, but has confirmed she will not seek re-election. She stepped down from her duties as the minister of transport and internal trade in September to serve as special envoy for Ukraine.

Freeland is also a long-time cabinet minister, serving as former deputy prime minister, minister of finance, and foreign affairs minister in the Trudeau administration.

Freeland is not alone in her change of post. Canada’s U.N. Ambassador position was filled by David Lametti on Nov. 17. He is the former justice minister under Trudeau and was also the principal secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney.

There has also been speculation that two additional former cabinet ministers from the Trudeau era are considering new careers in the diplomatic service.

It has been reported that former Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has been offered a diplomatic role as ambassador to the European Union and former Defence Minister Bill Blair has been offered the position of high commissioner to the UK, replacing the current commissioner Ralph Goodale.

Both Blair and Wilkinson told reporters in September they remain focused on serving their constituents as Liberal Members of Parliament. Neither MP commented on the reported upcoming appointments and no announcements have been made.