Early life and education
MacKinnon was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and studied business at the Université de Moncton and Queen's University.
In addition to his career in politics, MacKinnon has worked in business and public affairs. From 2007 to 2015, he was Senior Vice-President and National Practice Leader at a global public affairs consultancy firm, where he led teams and major projects in mergers and acquisitions and financial communications.
Political career
As political advisor
McKinnon served as executive assistant and an advisor to New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna from 1988 to 1995.
A supporter and advisor to former Prime Minister Paul Martin, McKinnon was named Deputy National Director upon Martin's election as party leader and Prime Minister. He acted as the party's communications chief during the 2004 election, and was promoted to national director of the Liberal Party of Canada after the election. In that role, he oversaw an overhaul of the party's constitution and the last competitive leadership contest decided through a delegated convention, both cumulating at the party's convention held in Montreal in December 2006 where fourth place contender Stéphane Dion emerged as the surprised victor. McKinnon announced he resignation as national director in the week immediately following the convention. He later served as the returning officer for the 2013 federal leadership election. [1]
Parliamentary career
MacKinnon first contested for a seat in parliament in the 2011 federal election in Gatineau, finishing third and almost 50 points behind Françoise Boivin, a former Liberal MP running for the New Democratic Party who secured 62% of the votes, and the then-incumbent Bloc Quebecois MP Richard Nadeau by just over 1 point.
Four years later at the 2015 election, MacKinnon returned and defeated Boivin by a 2-to-1 margin. He was reelected in 2019 and 2021 with similar margins against Bloc Québécois rival Geneviève Nadeau.
MacKinnon was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement in January 2017, and with the exception for the campaign period in 2019 held the role continuously under three ministers until the dissolution of parliament prior to the 2021 election.
Frontbench career
Following the 2021 election, MacKinnon was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Chief Government Whip and was sworn in as a Privy Councillor.
He was promoted to cabinet in January 2024 on an interim basis as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons during the parental leave of the incoming House Leader Karina Gould. He was made a full member of cabinet in July as Minister of Labour and Minister of Seniors. In the cabinet shuffle that took place at the height of the 2024–2025 Canadian political crisis, MacKinnon relinquished the senior portfolio and consolidated other workforce related portfolios to become the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.
In the two weeks following the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, MacKinnon publicly explored a bid in the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, [2] [3] but opted not to enter the race citing the short duration of the race. [4] He later endorsed the candidacy of former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney. [5] On January 25, MacKinnon was appointed Leader of the Government in the House of Commons of Canada after Karina Gould resigned from cabinet to run in the leadership race; MacKinnon had previously stood in for her during her maternity leave the previous year. [6]
On March 14, 2025, upon the beginning of the 30th Canadian Ministry, MacKinnon was appointed Minister of Jobs and Families by new Prime Minister Mark Carney. He was later appointed as the permanent Leader of the Government in the House of Commons on May 13, 2025. Following the resignation of Chrystia Freeland, he was appointed as Minister of Transport on September 16, 2025.
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