Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney will chair a Liberal task force on economic growth.
The appointment was announced as Liberal MPs gathered in Nanaimo, B.C. today to plot their strategy for the coming election year.
Long touted as a possible leadership successor to Trudeau, Carney was already scheduled to address caucus as part of the retreat this week.
The Liberals say he will now help shape the Liberal platform for the next election, and will report to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party platform committee.
Trudeau said several weeks ago that he has long tried to coax Carney to join his government.
His decision to jump in as an adviser comes at a difficult time for the Liberals, who have floundered in the polls for more than a year.