Prime Minister Mark Carney has broken with his predecessor’s convention of releasing mandate letters that detail the goals for each of his new ministers and their departments, instead issuing a single short document that outlines broad priorities with few specifics.

Mr. Carney said at an Ottawa news conference Wednesday that he has shared the single mandate letter with his new cabinet, which he says represents his government‘s unified vision as it tackles pressing global issues and a domestic affordability crisis.

But the single mandate letter means the public will not know what, if anything, Mr. Carney has told his ministers about what they should prioritize and which policies he expects them to implement.

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau began publishing mandate letters after he took office in 2015. His office hailed the move at the time as an ”unprecedented" step toward transparency and away from what he had attacked as secrecy under his Conservative predecessor, Stephen Harper.

Mr. Carney’s decision not to publish individual mandate letters follows his government‘s decision to delay a budget until the fall. Initially, his Finance Minister suggested the government would only release a fall economic statement rather than a full budget, but the Prime Minister walked that back this past weekend.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also refused to release his mandate letters to cabinet ministers, a decision his government defended at the Supreme Court of Canada. The court ruled last year that cabinet secrecy is vital to democracy and said Mr. Ford has the legal authority to keep his mandate letters for cabinet ministers confidential.

Mr. Carney’s single mandate letter was released online on Wednesday after a two-day cabinet planning forum held at Meech Lake in Quebec. The Prime Minister told reporters in Ottawa that his ministers discussed “how we can best deliver the major changes that are needed to overcome the many challenges that Canada currently faces.”

Mr. Trudeau published detailed mandate letters every year during his first term, and then after the 2019 and 2021 elections, laying out the priorities and objectives for the new ministers.

For example, in 2021, Mr. Trudeau’s letter to former foreign minister Mélanie Joly spoke of continuing to implement Canada’s Magnitsky Law, to levy sanctions on those accused of human-rights abuses and to apply a “feminist foreign policy.”

However, the ministers under the Trudeau government were also criticized for failing to live up to the goals of their mandate letters. And when his government published an online tracker to show whether mandate letter assignments had been met, it was denounced for marking goals as complete or in progress when they hadn’t been accomplished.

In contrast, the single mandate letter released by Mr. Carney’s Prime Minister’s Office is about a third of the size of the previous letters. It outlines seven key priorities for the cabinet, including a new economic and security relationship with the United States and strengthening relations with reliable trading partners around the world. It also talks about removing barriers to interprovincial trade and expediting nation-building projects, as well as bringing down costs for Canadians.

The letter further lists making housing more affordable by unleashing “the power of public-private co-operation”; protecting Canadian sovereignty by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing the borders and reinforcing law enforcement; attracting talent from around the world “while returning our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels”; and spending less on government operations.

Speaking in Ottawa, Mr. Carney said Canada faces a “more dangerous and divided world,” with the global trading system undergoing a massive transformation. He said the country’s “weak productivity” is making life less affordable and straining the government‘s finances, and threatening vital social programs.

“Canada’s new government has an immense responsibility to address these challenges head on with focus, new strategies and determined execution,” Mr. Carney said.

“This one letter outlines the core priorities of Canada’s new government, reflecting the mandate that Canadians have given to us.”

The letter adds that the ministers should identify how they can contribute to the government‘s objectives: “Over the coming weeks, I will look to each of you to identify the key goals and measures of success on which to evaluate the results you will achieve for Canadians as a member of the ministry.”

The Prime Minister has also declined to release a spring budget and said his government will present one in the fall. He said Wednesday the budget will be shaped by a higher degree of confidence “in the prospective efficiencies and cost savings across government,” as well as provide clarity on the trade war with the U.S. and new defence spending.

He added that Canada must become more productive by deploying artificial intelligence and focusing on “results over spending.”

The government has promised to implement a middle-class tax cut by Canada Day as well as eliminate internal trade barriers.