PM Carney's smaller cabinet is facing pushback from advocacy groups

Canada's new prime minister is facing growing criticism from advocacy groups upset that ministers solely dedicated to their issues are no longer around the cabinet table.

Mark Carney announced his slate of 23 ministers on Friday, which he described as a much smaller cabinet focused on protecting workers during a trade war and building the economy during a moment of crisis.

Rabia Khedr, the national director of Disability Without Poverty, says she believes Carney put his election strategy first by dropping a series of titles from his cabinet. 

"I think it's a political strategy. It's a strategic decision to get rid of anything that has to do with equity, diversity and inclusion in the forefront," said Khedr.

After being sworn in, Carney said his cabinet is leaner because it's "focused on the issues that are most important to Canadians, meeting the moment — the moment is a moment of crisis."

Missing from his ministers are the titles women, gender equality, youth, official languages, diversity, inclusion, persons with disabilities and seniors — all included in Trudeau's cabinet. 

Those portfolios aren't gone, but have been consolidated under other ministers' responsibilities.

Carney gave Steven Guilbeault an expanded cabinet role called "Canadian culture and identity, Parks Canada and Quebec lieutenant." The Prime Minister's Office says his portfolio includes women and gender equality along with official languages. 

Minister of Jobs and Families Steven MacKinnon's portfolio includes seniors and persons with disabilities, Carney's office said.

MacKinnon defended the consolidated cabinet roles on Friday, saying his government has spent nine years fighting for gender equity and won't waver on that front. He pointed to recent updates to employment insurance that he said make life easier for Canadian women.

"And for my part, whether it's seniors or handicapped people or and perhaps especially labour in this country, I take all of the constituent groups who rely on the services of my department extremely seriously," MacKinnon said at a news conference.

Khedr said MacKinnon should start in his role by knowing the government's language under the Accessible Canada Act is "persons with disabilities, people with disabilities or even disabled people."

She's among those calling for Carney to immediately reinstate the dedicated ministerial position over fears they're losing a champion around the cabinet table. More than 200 advocacy groups and organizations have joined forces to demand the new prime minister bring back a minister entirely focused on women and gender equality. 

Anuradha Dugal, executive director of Women's Shelters Canada, says for more than 60 years there's been a status of women minister and folding the portfolio under another minister's responsibilities sets back decades of work.