So on April 28, Canadians will finally get what millions have yearned for/demanded over many, many months … even years: a federal election!
At last!!!
YET, it looks like millions of Canadians … many of the same ones who wanted this vote for so long … could vote based entirely on a single, emotional issues only two months old, that will likely be resolved within a few months, maybe even weeks: Trump’s trade threats.
That would literally be a “short-sighted” decision.
Because we are all going to have to live with the government we choose for probably the next four years …and by voting based largely on one issue, Trump’s stupidity, millions of Canadians could find themselves AGAIN yearning for/demanding an election years before the next one is due!
Canadians from coast to coast to coast who have wanted an election for a very long time should remember why:
Justin Trudeau himself? The carbon tax? Inflation? Housing costs? Health care? Crime ?Jobs/unemployment? Too many immigrants? Too many refugees, especially Islamic militant troublemakers? Drug issues? Lousy sentencing laws? Social issues? Indigenous reconciliation failures or pandering/spending? Foreign relations/stances/spending? Or just plain tired after 10 years of a Liberal government?
Just this weekend, Carney’s Liberal government announced it would contribute $1.9 BILLION to expand Montreal’s subway system another six kilometres and add FIVE new stations.
However, What in Vancouver, the feds also announced funds earlier for the six kilometre Broadway subway extension and SIX stations …. but will get $896.9 million … less than half of the amount given to Quebec, for a smaller project!
(Hopefully, now that I have exposed this Liberal double standard, the Vancouver/BC media will ask Carney and all BC Liberal candidates WHY BC is not getting its fair share!!)
Another clear example about why this election should be about more than just the Trump/tariff dispute.
Canadians should cast their vote bearing in mind the outcome will impact all our lives for years to come!
Long after the Trump/trade/tariffs dispute is way behind us.
Of course, that still doesn’t necessarily make it an easy “Throw the bums out!” decision.
Trudeau is out; Mark Carney is in … and his “CV” is impressive.
Former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, Carney holds a degree in economics from Harvard, a master’s degree and a doctorate from Oxford and had a successful career at the Goldman Sachs investment firm. (Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Carney )
And so far, Carney is looking/sounding confident, calm, capable and even statesmanlike on TV as Canada’s new PM.
However, 21 of his 24-member Cabinet are holdovers from Trudeau’s Cabinet … political veterans who helped form, pass, impose and defend all those policies and taxes so many Canadians came to hate … and, in many cases, suffered under.
And with so many recycled Cabinet members, so many of the previous Liberal government top bureaucrats/policy advisers/attitudes/beliefs will also likely be recycled.
Pierre Poilievre was … until Trump upset Canadas’ political equilibrium … the overwhelming choice for change.
Poilievre studied international relations at the University of Calgary and then went to work in Ottawa for Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day, before first being elected himself as an MP in 2004, later serving as Minister for Democratic Reform, Minister of Employment and then Conservative Finance critic. (Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Poilievre )
The Conservative leader won considerable support across the country with his “Axe the Tax” campaign and promises of a “Common Sense” government, and seemed a shoo in as Canada’s next PM … even if many suggested they’d hold their noses and vote Conservative just to get rid of Trudeau/government.
Until the Mad Hatter threw his tantrum.
Now it’s a whole new campaign … that will last just 37 days.
But Canadians will have to live under the government they choose … for a lot longer than that!
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld on “X” for FREE First Alerts to all new postings on this blog.)
Hi Harvey, Finance Monthly estimates Carney at $6 Million, what were they counting, his pocket change and under his couch pillows. Give a break!
I also think Marge has hit on something someone should be investigating, this whole Brookfield move to New York seems a little bit more than suspicious. Carney gets quite testy, when people start questioning it. I am starting to think there is something big behind the move and it probably won’t be good for little old naive Canada.
(Response: I suspect the Conservatives are busy behind the scenes looking into the Brookfield connection and will let us all know if there’s any evidence of real impropriety. H.o)
I was wondering how in hell a world-renowned elite economist like Mark Carney could only be worth $6 million… unless he’s a heavy gambler or gives his fortune to charity? Similarly: how could Poilievre be worth $25 million?
As the CBC has found: “Though there have long been unsubstantiated reports about how much Poilievre and other Canadian politicians are worth, the culprit for their recent proliferation on social media appears to be a website called Pierre Poilievre News, which claims to be “Your Trusted Source for News on the Conservative Canadian Party and Pierre Poilievre’s Vision for Canada.” ”
Whenever people do a web-search to find out the worth of the various politicians: this site comes up first.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/party-leader-networth-misinformation-ai-1.7498417
It’s all about money and power. How come “mainstream” media isn’t looking into the Trump-Carney connections? Did you know that Carney’s company did this: pay for Trump’s son-in- law’s lease: Brookfield signed a 99-year lease to rent the entirety of a 41-story tower owned by the Kushner family in the heart of Manhattan, New York City. The total cost: US$1.1 billion.” Brookfield “paid the 99 years of rent all at once rather than annually. This highly unusual move ensured a massive and rapid cash inflow for the Kushner company, which was due to repay US$1.2 billion in mortgage payments just a few months later, in February 2019. So of course, Trump likes Carney…..
Why isn’t the media looking into Qatar, and Carrey’s and Donald Trump connections to them. Qatar basically had help in stalling our natural gas industry and exports , with Carrey’s and Trump’s help. Strange bedfellows indeed!
Carney has told the world for more than a decade what his values and goals are.
He’s published papers, written books and lectured on his ideology and passion.
In two months he’s convinced scores of people to believe he’s not that guy?
How STUPID is the average Canadian voter?
April 28 will answer that question!
President Trump had positive words after his first call with Mark Carney. He said that he looks forward to meeting with Mark Carney after the election. Is he saying that Mark Carney will win? Does he want Mark Carney to win? Ian Bremner of Eurasia Group is the boss of Mark Carney’s wife and has very interesting ideas about the Canada-USA relationship.
He says that Canadian leaders have a political incentive to fight President Trump’s tariffs because they affect the country’s economy and sovereignty. However, he expects Ottawa will quietly fold shortly after the vote to ensure that ongoing relations with the USA remain functional.
Supporters of Mark Carney might think he’s passionate about defending Canadian sovereignty, saving jobs and stimulating the Canadian economy. They might think he’s more interested in saving Canada than in serving the interests of Brookfield Asset Management. Ian Bremner, though, does not appear to be so sure.
Shocking stat from Nanos voter intension poll.
Under 60 prefer conservatives
Over 60 by 50% vs 29% prefer liberals. Their number one concern Trump.
I thought people were supposed to get wiser with age.
Not that shocking that young people want change while old people want stability.
I have children grandchildren. I want a better future for them not more liberal economic and affordability killing policies
I most seniors I talk with that also have children grandkids what to see change.
I guess your experience doesn’t jive with the stats. My interpretation seems to fit.
After hearing yesterday how well Carney’s phone call went with the U S president yesterday I immediately thought of one rich guy helping out another rich guy. Like some unwritten code they all share that peons like me don’t know anything about.
Why does my gut tell me we are going to get sold down the river after he gets elected, if he gets elected p.m.
I hope I’m wrong.
(Response: Finance monthly estimated Carney’s wealth at between $6 million and $10 million dollars U.S. but Forbes reportedly put Poilievre’s net worth at $25 million, so he’s apparently richer! H.o)
Plenty of time yet. for momentum to swing several times and people to waffle, and I am seeing people moving on from tariffs. Anger soared, people spewed and have now settled back down to scratching out a living and shuffling the kids around. It will be fun to hate Americans for a while, but not until a particular tariff really jolts folks personally will they make it an election issue.
At this early stage, all I see in my riding are Green and CPC signs, no NDP, no Liberal. It seems Liberal is synonymous with Trudeau and unpalatable.
To vote for the flaky, but locally productive Lizzy May, seems logical on an unemotional level, but won’t do much for Canada.
Pollierve frightens me and I don’t trust Carney. Even with a wholesale change of the Liberal brand, I probably still wouldn’t trust him, so I guess I’ll wait until election day or close to it to decide.
Plenty of time yet.
(Response: Yes, something about Poilievre doesn’t fit well with me either, and I don’t trust that the Liberals under Carney will be much different than the Liberals under Justin Trudeau. But I keep believing the Trump/tariff farce will be resolved within a few months… and therefore, as my blog piece states, “Election 2025 should be about more than Trump/tariffs”. So voters should look at: the past record; the long-term issues/concerns; the platforms; and, the leaders/candidates .. and choose what they REALLY believe will be best for Canada over the next four years …and beyond. H.o)
And Trump grants Carney the title of Prime Minister. This is wild stuff.
(Response: The Mad Hatter is truly mad …and erratic. Nothing he says/does today should be taken as “permanent” … except some of the damage he has already caused to American institutions, American democracy; American civil rights; American veterans’ lives, so many American civil service workers; the American economy, international relations, international alliances, world stability and the global economy. (Imagine what four years of this “mad” man will leave behind!) H.o)
Sorry I can’t find the blogger’s site… I’ve seen way too many — but the jist of it was that Trump felt emasculated by this photo of Trudeau and Melania and that Trump had a hate on for “Governor” Trudeau ever since.
Trump is petty and vengeful , so the blogger’s theory has weight. In any case, it’s a new relationship with “Prime Minister” Carney, who would do well to keep his distance from the Ice Queen!
Photo sample:
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/08/melania-trump-justin-trudeau-g7?srsltid=AfmBOoqPGDmZJOfX-Klm5XxYNs-oCJw59FcBqPJ-Str5bjfclsYB5hTN
So I did a quick scroll and I get 7 of you in favour of the Conservatives and 4 of you in favour of the Liberals. So just for the record I am voting NDP. Why, you ask?
Well besides its long history of fighting for things like universal health care and more recently pharmacare, dental care and childcare, things that specifically help seniors and working families that people seem to always forget when complaining about stuff, that’s not my reason.
Except for the Chretien years when we had Reform/Alliance MPs, for the 50 years I have lived here, the NDP have won the riding. And Jim Fulton, Nathan Cullen and now Taylor Bachrach have done good jobs of representing us as MPs and Canada as opposition critics for various ministries. So I am not voting for someone who may be a part of government. I am voting for someone who I know will try as hard as possible to keep that government honest.
On top of that, this riding is a two party race. Last election the Liberal candidate came in 4th behind the People’s Party so if I was so inclined to vote Liberal it would be a waste of a vote. And guys like Mulroney and Harper have put me off the Conservative Party as much as guys like Trudeau have put some of you off the Liberals.
I am not taking any bets on the election both federally or locally but yesterday, I saw a banner in a yard saying F**k Carney. I don’t think that strategy still works with Trudeau gone and I am guessing the guy who helped Doug Ford with his recent election win would agree.
https://cbc.ca/news/politics/top-conservative-strategist-poilievre-lose-1.7495524
(Response: I must admit I’m very conflicted on the idea of “wasting my vote’ by marking a ballot for a candidate/party with no real likelihood of being elected. I’ve done it: voted NDP, Green, Liberal and Conservative over the years in the six cities I’ve lived in, even though the majority sentiment clearly leaned another way. So why did I do it? To take a stand on principles, beliefs, policies … my own, and that of the party I opted to support. But sometimes, I’ve set all that good stuff aside… voting for my second choice, in the hope of defeating a possible/likely winner whose party/platform I’ve REALLY not preferred. That’s my dilemma this election: regular readers have seen me rant for years about the failings/shortfalls/hypocrisy of the Liberals and the need for change after 10 years in power; but on the other hand, there’s the only realistic alternative, Poilievre/Conservatives … an imperfect choice at best, whom I’m sure I’d be criticizing/ranting about within six months. And then there’s the Trump/tariff issue: should that totally govern my (and other voters’) ultimate choice during this most unusual election? Just can’t decide … and, unlike you in that regard, I believe I’m like millions of other Canadians … just not sure what to do. H.o)
Gerald Butts is one politician that I’m so happy to see gone. An advisor he was to Trudeau. Well there ya go. No wonder problems arose expotentially for Canadians during Trudeaus Un-Canadian reign given the wackos and incompetents that were our government of the time.
If you had a car that was an absolute lemon and financial burden for the past ten years, a new paint job and driver wouldn’t change anything. I’m worried about the election. If the polls are right, the Liberals might win and Donald Trump is the main reason.
The Conservatives need to remind Canadians of all the failures. They include record debt, more homeless people in tents, more people using food banks, problems with immigration, a health care crisis, corruption, rising crime, rising food prices and high taxes.
Let’s keep it real. The USA isn’t going to annex Canada. Despite the Liberal attempts to manipulate voters, Canadians don’t want to join the USA. The Republicans don’t need a new state that would almost certainly vote for the Democrats. Canada is a member of NATO, and if it is attacked, other NATO members have to defend it. If such a situation ever took place (almost unimaginable), the USA would be in a terrible guerilla war in a country where many people have guns and there’s a lot of land. Last of all, Canada could always ask a powerful nation like China for assistance, and that’s the last thing the USA needs.
Your comments are much more resonant than the non-sensical Conservative campaign. Perhaps they should hire you.
(Response: I’m retired … but in my next blog,to make the election more exciting, I’ll give them some FREE advice. 🙂 H.o)
Just a niggle, Lenin was a Bolshevik and not Marxist. Bolsheviks were, for a better word, violently ruthless and liquidated all opposition, including Marxists.
We have sadly coined the Soviet Union as a Communist State, but that was in name only, the Soviet Union was a Bolshevik state, which was as brutal if not more so than the German Nazi State.
It has all changed.
According to “Banker Carney”: “Canada must “fundamentally reimagine our economy” in the face of escalating tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday, declaring the “old relationship” between Canada and the U.S. is “over.”
According to the “Wee P.”; “My message to President Trump is, ‘Knock it off.’ Stop attacking America’s friends. Start trading so that we can once again become richer, stronger and more secure on both sides of the border.”
I do not think many people realize that no matter what side of the politcal fence you are on, Canada will fundamentally change – it has to change to survive.
Canadians, to the complete surprise found their collective backbone and voted with their feet and wallets (some loosing sizable amount of money in the form of deposits) not traveling to the USA and not buying American goods.
It is time that our politcans do the same and I would wager many on all sides of the politcal spectrum, especially Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, really have not a clue about what is happening and think it will be business as usual.
It is called asymmetrical warfare and the USA is wagering this asymmetrical war against Canada.
This election we should be discussing many issues, many with people with their hands out for the governments largess. Not happening. This is going to stop cold turkey; the frivolous ministries will be combined and/or abandoned. To keep what we have, we are going to have to give up a lot.
Not to offend anyone but at this point in time, Carney has a grip on the situation and Pollierve does not. The liberals are cruising to a major comeback and unless Carney starts speaking in tongues or is caught in a compromising situation, they will form the next government.
Both the Conservatives and the NDP (who maybe wiped out) both should do some deep soul searching, that maybe what they want is not what the Canadian public wants. The age of freebies is going to end, about one day after the general election and I do not see any evidence that our provincial and civic politcans see this.
(Response: The media should stop letting Trump control the entire Canadian campaign. Start asking questions on all those other issues that have bothered so many Canadians for years: housing, crime, lousy courts, taxes, inflation etc. Those will still be with us long after the trade dispute is resolved. H.o)
Hi Harvey, I have noticed during the past week or so, the Globe and Mail, which used to be reasonably fair in their political comment, in general, have gone full out for Carney. They have a lot of their commentators doing full on Liberal cheerleading. I find it hard not to believe that word didn’t come down from on high, saying if you want us to keep getting those subsidies, we need some good press. Just softball questions from now on!
I have a feeling, Marc Carney could be turning out be a bit of a handful for his handlers, not in a good way. I could be mistaken, I guess I’ll find out after the election.
(Response: This from Wikipedia: “In federal general elections, The Globe and Mail has generally endorsed right-wing parties. The paper endorsed Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives in 1984 and 1988. In 1993, the paper endorsed a Liberal minority government.” I haven’t noticed any huge bias so far, but I’ve been travelling a lot (I’m retired!:) so haven’t been glued to the coverage as much as I used to during elections. H.o )
The G&M has been leaning Liberal for a while.
The Nat Post has been leaning Right.
The CBC is on another planet.
Of course, the election should be more than just Trump. Unfortunately, the sheeple are being convinced that it is and that Carney is their Savior. He isn’t but they don’t know any better, listening to Global or that giant of non-truthfulness the CBC of course. Once Trump is gone, people like the person who denigrates the leader of the Conservatives consistently here at your blog, will be left wondering why they voted in the same old party with even more scandals or more taxes. Instead of looking at the big picture, they are focused on the little picture, to the detriment of all of us.
(Response: This will be a tough election for many voters. Carney, in my opinion, so far comes off better (more experienced, credible) than Poilievre on TV when it comes to the Trump/tariff issue. However as I stated in my blog piece, there’s a lot more involved than just that single issue and I can’t help but wonder whether voters will remember that when they vote. H.o)
To much Eastern promises so far from Carney. Just leftovers and crumbs for the West and BC. Maybe Polliviere will make Canada all inclusive as one. Maybe, or not. All I know is I’m sure I’ve seen many working used car sales lots and carnivals. Might have even seen one or two working off the back,of a wagon selling snake oil elixirs and qeustionable medicines for what ails ya.
(Response: I’m sure Carney will make all kinds of promises including money when he campaigns out West. It will be interesting to see if that makes people forget their concerns/complaints of the past … or the media take the bait and forget to ask why Montreal got DOUBLE Vancouver’s federal funding for a smaller subway project than our Broadway line???? H.o)
Can’t believe the decision for the voters is going to be a tough one. Carney ignores us with just one Minister out West .. and yes he has had a “real” job, but no experience in the political arena, say for helping Trudeau screw things up …
I say a minority government again and who will “shore” up one of the parties. Don’t think NDP will show up with many seats…. if any …But I do know an elderly lady says she is going with Carney cause he looks really nice … oh what fun …
(Response: For years now, voters have raked the Liberals over the coals on housing, Courts, crime, taxes, inflation, drugs, druggies, scandals etc … but, along comes a new leader, and one issue that scares people … and it’s a whole new election campaign! Amazing! H.o)
At the BBC Reith Lectures last year, on the topic of “How We Get What We Value”, Mark Carney was challenged by historian Niall Ferguson. He asked Mark Carney why he made no reference to Bjorn Lomborg in his discussion of the climate issue. (Bjorn Lomborg is much more kn0wledgeable that Greta Thunberg, who he mentioned.) He also asked about Mr. Lomborg’s book “False Alarm”, in which Mr. Lomborg establishes with detailed science that there is no existential climate crisis, that adapting to climate change is manageable, and that the policies promoted by Mark Carney are likely to be far more expensive than any impact from extreme weather.
Canadians need to ask themselves if they want a man who champions the extreme policies of Mark Carney. He strikes me as a man who is not at all interested in improving the lives of ordinary Canadians but the lives of the corporate elites. He has decided to parachute into Canada and wants to tax everyone to death, but how much tax has he paid here in Canada? It’s well-known that he has used Bermuda as a tax haven. The Liberals used to get lots of support from the working-class, but this election I’m not so sure.
Mark Carney has impressive credentials with an Oxford degree in economics as well as holding positions of Governor of the Bank of Canada and the U K. We are often reminded.
From 2020 to 2024 he advised Trudeau and the liberal party to provide guidance and economic response to Covid 19 as well as assistance to help Canada out of recession.
In August 2022 German Chancellor Olaf Sholz contacted Canada requesting an increase in LNG to Europe. At that time the Trudeau response was that it did not make good business sense and that was the end of it. I recall scratching my head at the time thinking that we most likely lost the chance of perhaps making billions of dollars for our country’s coffers, maybe for years to come. To me it was just common business sense.
I’m not saying it was going to be easy or cheap, but sometimes you have to look at the big picture. I’m just stating that Carney was there at the time advising Trudeau. Why in the world would this not have appealed to him? Was he even consulted? I’d like to know. Instead we immediately denied the request.
I realise hind sight is 20/20 however we are now literally scrambling as to how quickly we can build these pipelines. We could have been way ahead of the curve.
I’ve known people who are really book smart, or have good education but no common sense. It’s like the professor on the side of the road waiting for BCAA to show up because he doesn’t know how to change a flat tire.
I guess I see more common sense in Poilievre than I do in Carney.
I can’t recall in my lifetime, an election so important as this. A NATO country threatening militarily to annex territory from two other countries – one another NATO country. Or trying to financially break another NATO country, to force it to join them. This all feels like the plot of a paperback thriller to be dealt with by fictional heroes like Jack Ryan or Jed Bartlet.
I have no tolerance for those who belong to a party and mindlessly vote for its leader no matter who it is, who’s running for other parties, or what’s happening in world affairs. That’s how Trump got in – a base of mindless voters who support him despite his obvious mental illness and numerous salacious and felonious crimes. Doesn’t it make more sense in each election to carefully weigh all the complex variables, and choose the person/party with the best possible background and proposed solution?
Mark Carney, while running the banking systems in two different countries and continents, likely learned a thing or two about international finances, industry, and the effect of attempts to politicize them. His Oxford Doctorate in economics, and all his contacts from the past 30 years, will probably help a bit too. He would have learned how to recognize and deal with international shysters and grifters like Trump. How to deal with banking requests from criminal orgs and dictatorships. Things we can’t imagine.
Pierre Poilievre, with his mail-order Batchelor of Arts and zero experience in real world business, is barely equipped for the job. Particularly at this point in history, with so much at stake for our country and others.
Before Carney became PM, I would have voted for Poilievre because I loathed Trudeau. But the Libs fixed that. If Carney was running with the Cons, I’d vote for him. In these trouble times, we can’t pass up his vast experience simply because we don’t like the Libs, for such an utter light-weight, neophyte.
(Response: I understand many have partisan preferences, but I have always found it strange … and, frankly, anti-intellectual …when people blindly refuse to even criticize a particular party, no matter how bad the record, how incompetent the leadership or even when their ministers/members are caught lying, cheating etc. Readers of this blog know that, over the years, I have certainly tried to “keep it real” … criticizing pretty well every party/leader at every level when something irks me or seems dishonest, ineffective or simply disgraceful. Your right: this election is very important and I hope voters think more carefully than ever about who/what is best for Canada and not just vote like Pavlovian pooches. H.o)