Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney has launched a campaign to become Canada's prime minister, raising awareness in a country where voters remain angry over outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's handling of the economy. own financial expertise.
Carney told a crowd in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday that he was campaigning in "extraordinary times," an apparent reference to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on Canadian exports.
Carney, who also served as Bank of Canada governor before moving to London in 2013, said he would make Canada's economy the strongest among the Group of Seven nations, acknowledging that growth had been too slow under fellow Liberal Trudeau. Slow, wages too low, groceries too expensive.
"I'm going to be very focused on getting our economy back on track," Carney said in Canada's western province. "I'm here to ask for your support, and I'm here to lead this fight."
The Liberal contender, who most recently served as a New York-based executive at alternative asset management firm Brookfield, has sought to portray himself as an outsider on par with Conservative leader and career politician Pierre Poilievre. ) In stark contrast, Pierre Pliyev has opened up a huge lead in national opinion polls.
"I'm not the usual suspect when it comes to politics, but now is not the time to discuss politics as usual," Carney said.
Carney's announcement ends months of speculation about whether the former central bank chief would try to replace Trudeau. Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party on January 6 after months of party infighting and plummeting poll ratings.
Chrystia Freeland, whose resignation as Trudeau's finance minister last month triggered a leadership crisis in the Liberal Party, is expected to announce her candidacy. "I'll have more to say soon," she posted on X on Thursday. A person close to Freeland said she may launch her campaign in Toronto on Sunday.
Canada's parliamentary system means that, as in the UK, the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons has the power to form the government and become prime minister.
If Carney wins the Liberal leadership vote on March 9, he will become Canada's next prime minister, although he is not an elected official - unlike Freeland and Trudeau, he is not a Canadian MP. He will then lead the party in the federal election, which must be held on or before October 20.
But Trudeau's Liberal successor could face an immediate vote of no-confidence when Parliament reconvenes on March 24, forcing an early election.
The power vacuum in Ottawa comes amid tensions in U.S.-Canada relations ahead of Trump's inauguration on Monday. The president-elect has repeatedly challenged Trudeau in recent weeks, calling Canada the "51st state" of the United States and Trudeau its "governor."
Carney resigned as chairman of Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management, an asset manager with nearly $1 trillion under management. He led the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.
"We are sad to see him leave, but he does so in fulfillment of his deep appreciation for public service in Canada," Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt said in a statement Thursday. I wish him all the best in his new pursuits.”
Carney is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bloomberg LP and the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance. Carney remains a senior adviser to the Trudeau government.
Pliyev attacked the former central banker for supporting Trudeau's efforts to combat Canada's greenhouse gas emissions through one of the West's toughest carbon taxes, which is deeply unpopular in oil-rich Alberta. , where Carney grew up.
"Carbon tax Carney supports raising the NDP-Liberal tax on gas, heat and groceries, quadrupling it all the way to $0.61/litre. Just. Like. Justin," Poilievre posted on X on Thursday.