Who To Choose?

While I and many others consider the possibility of a Mark Carney-led Liberal Party, there are some obvious hurdles. While his appearance on The Daily Show, which I wrote about yesterday, may help, according to Leland Cecco, 76% of Canadians in an Abacus poll could not identify him.

But that may change, if letter writers and pundit are any indication of things political. The Star's Linda McQuaig has this to say about Carney:

Among possible contenders for the Liberal leadership, Carney seems the best bet to take on the menacing Donald Trump. Carney is smart, unflappable and has experience dealing with foolish loudmouths. His international stature as a respected former governor of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada might even intimidate the ignorant American bully. 

Unlike conventional central bankers, Carney used his influence to push hard for climate action, serving as UN Special Envoy for Climate and Finance, and pressuring financial interests to divest from fossil fuels. Carney has also condemned “staggering wealth inequalities,” and criticized Canada’s corporate elite for sitting on “dead money” rather than investing its enormous profits in Canada.

Carney ... has actually stood up to the establishment; in 2019, he enraged then-president Trump by advocating scrapping the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency — a reform that would threaten U.S. global economic and political dominance.

Carney has never held elected office (whereas Poilievre has done nothing but hold elected office). So Carney will be compared to political novice Michael Ignatieff, who was crushed in the 2011 federal election. But Ignatieff was a pompous lightweight (he publicly insisted it was George W. Bush’s deep commitment to democracy that motivated him to invade Iraq). Carney is no such fool. 

Letters to the editor reflect some thoughts on Carney after his Daily Show appearance:

When a former central banker walks onto The Daily Show and actually kills it, you’d think we’d celebrate. Instead, critics such as Tonda McCharles dismiss Mark Carney’s viral moment as a low-risk no-show. 

Let’s be clear: comedy is a high-wire act, especially for someone eyeing the Prime Minister’s Office. One awkward pause, one failed joke, and you’re a cringeworthy meme, immortalized on the internet as a loser’s punchline. Given that Carney is a banker fighting the stuffed-suit stereotype, his appearance with Jon Stewart was a revelation. An economist with a spreadsheet mindset stepped into the arena of comedy — and somehow walked away having won the audience’s approval. That’s a big deal.

While Trudeau prorogued and Poilievre complained, Carney showed up with actual substance wrapped in wit. He demonstrated a depth of economic knowledge that went beyond the tax-cut talking points conservatives recycle every election, but without putting everyone to sleep. He framed climate change as a solvable crisis without sounding like a doomsday prophet. And he managed to be progressive without merely parroting a script. That’s leadership without the usual political theatre.

The cynics can sneer all they want. Carney has shown us that maybe, just maybe, the current Canadian political race has been altered. Perhaps Poilievre is no longer a sure thing: progressive Canadian voters now have a real chance to avoid political disaster.

Tony D’Andrea, Toronto

Mark Carney and Jon Stewart appeared to have so much fun sparring about the Canada-U.S. relationship this week on The Daily Show. When asked what he thought about the idea of turning Canada into the 51st state, Carney told Stewart, “You’re attractive, but we’re not moving in with you. It’s not you; it’s us.”

Carney was funny, humble, well-spoken and knowledgeable about Canadian affairs and politics. He displayed his skills as an economist and banker, and I believe he would be the perfect prime minister to deal with President-elect Donald Trump’s massive tariffs. Carney was the governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and helped get the United Kingdom through Brexit as governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

It was wonderful to see two men so quick on their feet!

Ellie McCaig, Kitchener

Will any of this make a difference in the next federal election? Your guess is as good as mine, but my suspicion is that the predicted decimation of the Liberal Party may be mitigated by a leader who stands in sharp contrast to the shrill, dour, aphoristic and repetitive PP,  a man who seems to take pleasure in cutting down our country, not unlike the shrill schoolmarm who, by accident, receives an invitation to a party and casts a very wet blanket over all the festivities.