The Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) welcomes the appointment of a Cabinet that brings together several seasoned leaders in key positions for advancing Canada’s cultural sovereignty.

We offer our warm congratulations to Steven Guilbeault on his appointment as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, while also serving as Minister responsible for Official Languages and Québec Lieutenant. In his previous role as Minister of Canadian Heritage, he showed a deep understanding of the sector and a willingness to take bold, effective action to meet its many challenges.

The CDCE also extends its congratulations to Mélanie Joly on her appointment as Minister of Industry, in addition to her role as Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. The Industry portfolio plays a critical role in supporting cultural sovereignty — particularly in areas like copyright — and her extensive experience in government, including at Canadian Heritage, sends a promising signal.

The CDCE also welcomes the appointment of Evan Solomon to a newly created and highly strategic role: Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.

Warm congratulations as well to François-Philippe Champagne, who remains Minister of Finance and National Revenue; Anita Anand, now Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Dominic LeBlanc, who takes on a key position as Minister responsible for Canada–U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Canadian Economic Union.

As this new political cycle begins, the CDCE urges this seasoned team to take bold, decisive steps to make cultural sovereignty a true national priority — and offers its full support in helping to make that happen.

Representing over 350,000 creators and more than 3,000 Francophone and Anglophone cultural enterprises across the country, the CDCE underscores that expectations within the sector are high. Key priorities include mitigating the economic fallout from the trade dispute with the United States, protecting cultural industries in trade agreements, effectively implementing the modernized Broadcasting Act and supporting Radio-Canada/CBC, adopting targeted amendments to copyright legislation, and introducing measures to address the impact of generative artificial intelligence on creators and cultural businesses. These issues demand cross-cutting, coherent, and ambitious political action that matches the scale of the cultural sector’s rapid transformation.

Canada played a leading role in the creation of UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. As the first country to ratify it, Canada remains a recognized global leader in this area. The CDCE encourages the new government to carry that legacy forward and reaffirm Canada’s cultural leadership on the international stage.