Releasing the mandate letters feels like political theatre. However, as someone who is very concerned about power/influence being centralized in the PMO, the following is nice to hear:
On one level, Carney's decision to outline seven broad priorities, instead of publicly charging each minister with a checklist of tasks, might give members of cabinet more room to manoeuvre — to devise and drive their own ideas and initiatives. After outlining the seven priorities of the government, Carney asks each minister to "identify" both "how specifically you can contribute to these missions" and "the key goals and measures of success on which to evaluate the results you will achieve."
I've been ambivalent about Carney so far, but this is a good (public) move.