Title: Carney Defends High Salaries for New CEO Appointees

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing by his decision to offer annual salaries exceeding $577,000 to the CEOs of two newly established government offices. This pay is notably higher than that of his cabinet ministers. Douglas Guzman will lead a new defense procurement office, while Dawn Farrell will head the Major Projects Office. Their salaries do not include potential performance bonuses.

Carney emphasized the significant responsibilities associated with these positions. He stated that the roles involve critical tasks such as making major military procurement decisions and overseeing industrial development projects that could generate "tens and tens of billions of dollars of economic activity."

The decision has drawn criticism from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. In a recent social media post, Poilievre expressed concern over Carney's appointment of Guzman, who has held senior roles at the Royal Bank of Canada and Goldman Sachs. He accused Carney of expanding the bureaucracy and providing new appointees with "massive taxpayer-funded paychecks."

In response, Carney defended the salaries, asserting that he requires top talent to fulfill essential mandates. He noted that the compensation for these individuals in the private sector was likely "substantially higher."

This report was first published on October 10, 2025.