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)
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)
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)
I can’t agree with you that we should look beyond tariffs and Trump in this election. Canada is in a very vulnerable position with regards to the US since forever and especially since 1989 when the Canada/US Free Trade Agreement was implemented.
It matters little if Carney is a nice guy or not, he has much better experience and credentials than anyone we have ever had the opportunity to support and we would be daft if we didn’t appreciate this competence. The attack ad calling him sneaky was manipulative and was shown in the red light spectrum which makes him look ugly and his two front teeth especially ugly. If he is sneaky he is in the right place as any politician could be called sneaky because many citizens can’t really handle the truth. Wasn’t Trudeau sneaky and Poillievre himself doesn’t appear any less sneaky than Carney.
Polls seem to indicate that the NDP is out of the running. That might be half the battle towards good governance right there. Blame Singh and his socialists for pushing the Liberals in such a “progressive” direction. I doubt if Carney is truly as “progressive” as Trudeau appears to be.
Conservative supporters should rethink their positions as that party never says anything about Free Enterprise and its choice of social conservative values seem to be mostly random or a mirroring USA social conservative values.
Carney is a professional economist and most economists, except for Thomas Pickety, are almost always support capitalism. I am willing to bet that Carney will ultimately support capitalism at least as much as Poillievre. After all, capitalism is the one of the strongest economic engines we have. It channels ingenuity and ambition like no other system does.
Although not the subject at hand, we have to remember that it was the Conservatives who gave us the Free Trade Agreement. From my modest viewpoint I have not seen any benefits from free trade coming to middle class and working class Canadians. What I have seen is the USA using the agreement as an excuse to de-Canadianize us. Like John Turner, I see the agreement as weakening prospects for ourselves, and so if we really want to be successful many of us have to leave the country. If we don’t leave Canada, many of us continue to be closely involved with the hewing of wood and the drawing of water. Since the Free Trade Agreement was implemented we have lost many Canadian businesses including Woodwards, Eatons, Lumberland, Revys, Beaver Lumber and the Future shop.
Maybe we Carney isn’t yet campaigning on Free Trade, but maybe it is time to push the election race in that direction.
(Response: There’s more to a country than just tariffs … and, even on that issue, Canadians have differing opinions on which leader/party would be best. However, I listed several issues in my blog piece that have bothered, hurt, scared millions of Canadians for years. They should not be forgotten in making a choice, even if in the end, the voters still decide to base their vote on Trump’s threats/actions. H.o)
I did a little research about Chandra Arya and discovered that he’s against DEI, mass immigration and uncontrolled spending. Perhaps he’s a little bit too far to the right for Mark Carney, and would be fine in the Conservative Party. Anyway, no one will say that removing him was racist, but I’m sure there are Asian-Canadians who are unhappy about the manoeuvre.
Mark Carney isn’t very familiar with his riding. In my opinion, he should have run in Edmonton, but perhaps polls showed he couldn’t win there. Since he’s obviously not a very brave person, he decided to run in Nepean. Imagine how embarrassing it must have been when a reporter asked him if he knew the riding, and he mentioned areas that are not part of it. Though he has Harvard and Oxford as part of his resume, clearly his preparation is often far from perfect.
It was embarrassing is that he mispronounced the name of one of his candidates, Nathalie Provost, who survived a shooting massacre at the Polytechnique, the engineering school at the University de Montreal. He also got the name of the school wrong and actually said that she was at Concordia.
The brilliant Mark Carney is making one mistake after another. His advisors must be really nervous. The Liberal leader has already developed a reputation as someone who doesn’t listen to his advisors and is very arrogant. Perhaps a little humility is necessary because no matter how impressive his background, a lot of his mistakes make him look very amateur.
I’m sure his supporters will say I’m overly critical and making a big deal out of minor issues. Well, let me ask two simple questions. If you were a Liberal candidate, and the Liberal leader mispronounced your name, how would you feel about it? If Pierre Poilievre had made those mistakes, would we say they didn’t matter?
Each day brings out the contradictions about Carney about who he really is and what he has done in his past. The real Carney. As far as I can tell this guy is sleazy as the day is long. A lot of people have things in their past they are not proud of. No one is perfect, but it keeps piling up for him. The signs seem to be there.
If he gets voted in, we are stuck with him for four years. I’m not crazy about Poilievre but at least he doesn’t come off as sneaky. I may have to hold my nose and go with him.
There is still a lot of time before voting day.
If you will allow me a side comment, Harvey. What in the hell is that Danielle Smith up to anyways ? As if there isn’t enough about this election to consider.
(Response: Danielle Smith did a very stupid thing: she handed Carney/Liberals powerful ammunition to use in the campaign battle … and I believe it could come back to haunt Poilievre/Conservatives. H.o)
Mark Carney has an impressive resume. That’s undeniable, but that doesn’t automatically make him an excellent prime minister. It’s hard to believe that all his assets don’t place him in any potential conflicts of interest, but as he likes to remind his, he’s complied with all the rules.
Pierre Poilievre has been criticized for entering politics at a young age. The argument is that he has little experience in the private sector. However, he wasn’t a spoiled rich kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth. When he was a teenager, he worked as a paperboy for the Calgary Sun. He also worked for TELUS and as a journalist for Alberta Report.
He’s very intelligent and shouldn’t be critized for entering politics at a young age. There’s little doubt in my mind that if he hadn’t entered politics, he’d be successful in the private sector. His wife is clearly an asset. Notice that Mark Carney’s wife appears to have gone into hiding.
Please pay attention to Mark Carney’s voice and body language when he isn’t so honest. He often puts his finger to his lips, touches his neck, moves his hands a lot and speaks quickly. Maybe he’s simply not used to difficult questions, but he’s now a politician and that’s part of the job.
(Response: The impression I have of Carney so far is that he has quite a temper. Looks like Liberal strategists are trying to control that … but I suspect if he gets the top job, we may see another side of Carney. (Not that Poilievre impresses either on a personal level!) H.o)
I was also taken aback by his temper when Barton asked about his holdings. It was a totally reasonable and predictable question and he should have been ready to answer calmly.
Hi Harvey, as one of the instructors the Golf Channel says, “If you keep on doing what you have been doing, you will keep on getting the results you have been getting!”
I think the same could be said for elections, Looking at the line-up Carney has going for him, I see more of what Trudeau offered, only worse,
I don’t know why people don’t believe Carney when he spells out, exactly what he thinks and how to implement it. It will not be pretty! It is all put forth in his book, Values and it is very scary. I think a person like him should be kept away from power, at all costs!
(Response: It never ceases to amaze me how so many voters can complain for years about government actions/policies/failures … but then be bedazzled by some new promise/policy or, in this case, leader. Perhaps Carney will take the Liberals/government in a whole new direction in dealing with so many national issues … but, what if it’s just more of the same! H.o)
Mark Carneys wife, Diana Fox Carney works for Eurasia Group. A group that has been awarded 7 contracts worth MILLIONS of dollars from the Canadian Govt for their net zero agenda. I should also mention that of the 7 contracts awarded it appears only 1 had been put to tender.
What is really interesting is Gerald Butts is the VP AND John Baird a senior advisor along with Dominic Barton a strategic counsellor. All of whom have been part of Justin Trudeau, now Mark Carneys Liberals.
And there’s more from Wikipedia:
In 2012, Mrs. Carney caught the attention of the British press with The Daily Telegraph labelling her as an “eco-warrior” for expressed sympathy with the anti-banking occupy movement stating “global financial institutions are rotten or inadequate”.[5] In 2013, she received criticism after publicly stating her husband’s $7,700/week housing allowance was insufficient.
And the Canadian populace believes that Carney is right for them? The absolute ability to be conned all the time by the Liberals absolutely floors me. How stupid are Canadians anyway?????
Sadly, this election should be about much more, but it isn’t with Trump administration threatening to annex Canada and that threat is very, very real.
The “Wee P” is tha author of his own demise as he and the Conservatives framed the election around Trudeau, with cute 3 to 5 syllable sound bytes and flag wrapping photo-ops, such as “axe the tax”.
Well Trudeau is gone and now we have a Trumpian Fascist government and to a complete and utter surprise for everyone, the American when they poked the bear, saw a very angry Grisly awaken in full mean mode.
The Conservatives took over a month to deal with this and even more embarrassing they are still running “axe the tax” adverts in the media, while Carney is exploiting Canadian patriotism to the Liberal’s benefit.
And it just gets worse for the Conservatives.
The Carbon Tax in reality was a general revenue tax masquerading as a tax against to mitigate the effects of Global/Warming and Climate Change, which just turned into s slush fund. With the demise of the Carbon Tax, new taxes must be added and all politcal parties are guilty ignoring this. YOU CANNOT TAX GLOBAL WARMING OUT OF EXISTENCE.
The “Wee P” is a career politician and say what you want, career politcans tend to be duds when in power as they are ensnared by the bureaucracy, with Carney there is a chance of a “clean sweep” of how things were done on now how they must be done.
And now we cone to transit funding, well the feds are anteing up an additional $1.5 billion to TransLink to keep this bloated and incompetent organization running. Added to the already announced $896.9 million almost $2.4 billion over 10 years (same spread for Montreal), to help TransLink dig itself out of a $3 to $4 billion hole.
https://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/a-pre-election-band-aid/
The housing issue is not one of supply (so build baby build and densification are strictly politcal in nature) but one of affordability. Again, no one is dealing with that, especially the Conservatives.
This election I will vote Liberal for the first time in a long time because the issue, when all is said and done, is the survival of Canada and I have absolutely no faith in the Maple MAGA Conservatives or the hapless NDP.
We are living in the proverbial “interesting times” and we must not make it more “interesting” than we should.
It’s the 21 out of 24 holdovers from Trudeaus cabinet and that never ending overly disproportionate seats and pandering to the east, namely Qeubec. Nothing wrong with Qeubec. I love Qeubec and our Francophone Canadian brothers and sisters, but this constant kicking our western side out of the picture is unnacceptable.
(Response: Those figures showing Montreal gets more than double Vancouver for its subway, even though BC’s is the same length and will add one more station, should lead EVERY BC voter to demand EQUAL treatment! And doing so during an election campaign just might work! H.o)
I think the Conservatives gave up too quickly on Erin O’Toole. Most leaders need at least 2 tries to become PM. This new guy ain’t it. Old Islander nailed it. I’d vote for change if I believed they’d stand up to Trump. He may not be the only issue, but he’s the main issue. The Liberals changed just enough to become a palatable option. I’m ready to give Carney 4 years and let the Conservatives build a new platform.
(Response: Good point. I think O’Toole was easier to like than Poilievre … but he didn’t come up with the populist policies like Axe the Tax that has been so effective. H.o)
A person commented that he needs a reason to vote for the Conservatives. He doesn’t just want attacks against Mark Carney. Let me give a few reasons.
Pierre Poilievre has lived all his life in Canada and will stay in Canada if he loses the election. He was adopted by a middle-class family because his mother, a teenager and single mother, gave him up for adoption. He can connect to the middle class and doesn’t want to increase immigration (Century Initiative) to please the corporate elites and drive down the wages of hard-working Canadians.
Pierre Poilievre wants to reduce the size of government and spend our tax dollars wisely. He’s serious about developing our natural resources, reducing bureaucracy and creating an environment that benefits the private sector.
His wife is a Venezuelan immigrant, so he understands the importance of immigration. His wife isn’t a left-wing British economist who speaks with an upper-class British accent, and he’s not supported by the majority of billionaires in Canada. He was born in western Canada, and he wants the west to prosper.
One person commented that the Liberals had nothing to do with the burning of churches. Let me remind Christians that the Liberals condemned all acts of violence against places of worship such as synagogues and mosques but had very little to say about churches. Gerald Butts even said that burning churches was understandable. It seemed to me that Christians were not treated the same as people of other religions, and I expect that will change if Pierre Poilievre has the honour of becoming the next prime minister.
It’s very disappointing that the leftists here make excuses for Mark Carney. If Pierre Poilievre had very few cabinet ministers from the west, I’d make no excuses for it. I’d say that it was very unfortunate and unfair. Why can’t they be honest and say the same?
One person here is very disrespectful of the Conservative leader and refuses to use his real name. The use of a childish nickname reminds me of Donald Trump. If he wants to do that, it’s his choice, but it won’t gain respect from those who have opposing views. I don’t support Mark Carney, but regardless, I show him respect and use his real name.
Mark Carney has announced he won’t take part in the French language debate. Let me write a few words in French. As Mark Carney said when a reporter asked him to repeat comments in French, he said you can get a translator.
À mon avis, la décision de Mark Carney de ne pas participer dans le débat en français est une grosse erreur. C’est vraiment triste, et nous dit que le français n’est pas très important pour lui. Comment est-ce que les Québécois vont répondre?
His decision to kick out Chandra Arya was terrible. He had been nominated to run for a fourth term. Now Mark Carney wants us to believe he had nothing to do with the decision that allows him to run in what was supposed to be Chandra Arya’s riding. It’s a very foolish move, and might motivate many Canadians of Indian descent to vote for the Conservative. Maybe Mark Carney believes more in selections than in elections, but Canadians are proud of their democracy and wish to preserve it.
Unfortunately, Donald Trump has interfered too much in the Canadian election. His comments about Canada were offensive and disrespectful. There’s no need for him to treat Canada as an enemy. It’s clear that Pierre Poilievre is not a close friend, but at the same time, he understands the need to be firm but professional and respectful with the American president. I really hope Canadians voters don’t reward the Liberals with another term because of the words and actions of the American president.
For voters who want to understand Mark Carney better, I recommend they read his book “Value(s), Building a Better World for All”. If they don’t have the time or desire, I can give a brief summary. He claims that western society is morally rotten, and that it has been corrupted by capitalism., which has brought about a climate emergency that threatens life on earth. (In my opinion, this is just climate hysteria.) This, according to him, requires rigid controls on personal freedom, industry and corporate funding.
Mark Carney draws inspiration from Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin, but the agenda he promotes differs from Marxism in two key areas. First, the private sector is not to be expropriated but made a partner in reshaping our society and economy. Second, it does not make any promise to improve the lives of ordinary people at all. It’s far worse because Mark Carney’s Brave New World will be one of severely restricted choices, fewer flights, less meat, more inconvenience and more poverty. Assets will be stranded, gasoline-powered cars will become far more difficult to sell, and inefficient properties will be unrentable, he promises.
Let me make it very clear. A vote for Mark Carney is a vote for less personal freedom and more government in every aspect of our lives. That’s the choice that Canadians face.
(Response: Thanks for this. A good example of why the blogosphere is so valuable: a place for serious thought and democratic discussion. However, there is one conclusion you’ve reached which is not correct …when you wrote “Mark Carney has announced he won’t take part in the French language debate.” Ce n’est pas vrai. That’s not true. Carney WILL take part in the Official French Debate on April 16 and the Official English debate on April 17. The debate Carney declined to attend was an unofficial extra French debate on the Quebec TV Network TVA … reportedly because the network demanded each leader pay $75,000 to participate (a dangerous debate precedent in my view!). H.o)
I apologize for the error regarding the French debate. Thank you for the correction.
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.
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 was an easy choice up until T2 resigned.
Carney is solid proven guy with the best CV of any Canadian PM, perhaps in history. The worry is valid about him ignoring the west, spending heavily in Quebec. And the status quo remaining the same over the next 4 years.
On the other hand, Poilievre is a candidate with no ‘real world’ CV, who’s been on the public teat since his late teens. He’s never had a ‘real’ job, other than politics. He dropped out of university before graduation, completing his ‘Batchelor of Arts’ by correspondence later, via an ‘on line’ university. The fact that he sided with the trucker’s freedom convoy as its deluded members broke laws everywhere they went, and danced and whizzed on the tomb of the unknown soldier, is deeply appalling.
His Trump-like values are worrisome. I can’t find any examples of strongly worded criticism of Trump by Poilievre. In fact, he seems to admire some of Trump’s tacks. Conservatives are all about reduced government. Who reduced T2’s cabinet from 39 ministers to 24? Mark Carney!
In Esquimalt, several qualified locals were passed over as the Conservative candidate as Poilievre parachuted a guy in from outside the riding, who works most of his time in the US.
I would have voted for him if T2 was still here, but now I’m not so sure.
(Response: I’m really not sure, if I can borrow a phrase! 🙂 I find Carney more professional, more skilled, more successful and more credible than Poilievre; but also I believe Carney would just bring us more of the same Liberal policies and actions that I’ve ranted against for years. And I’ve never found governments/parties get BETTER the longer they’re in power. Maybe it’s time to hold my nose, vote for change …and hope for the best? I’m not sure. H.o)
I didn’t write this but sure think it’s the truth. Liberal/NDP supporters are such bloody sheep!
I saw this on a FB post and had to share. Don’t know the original author but it sure speaks loud and clearly about certain Canadians and what a bunch of idiots they tend to be:
I didn’t write this but isn’t it the truth?
“Pierre – I’m going to cancel the carbon tax
Liberal supporters – boooo you don’t care about the climate & you’re taking money away from people
Carney – I’m going to cancel the carbon tax.
Liberal supporters – ya good call! It was bad. That’s gonna put more money in our pockets!
Pierre – I’m going to cancel the proposed capital gains tax
Liberal supporters – you are for rich people! You don’t care about our future!
Carney – I’m going to cancel the proposed capital gains tax
Liberal supporters – such a good idea! That will spur development & investment from rich people!
We live amongst millions of hypocrites.”
(Response: Yes … supporting all parties. H.o)
“21 of 24 cabinet members”… are from Trudeaus cabinet.
Nothing more needs to be said.
Same people in power.
We have awaited almost 10 years for this election.
I will neither forgive or forget what the Liberals , Trudeau or not, have done to this country.
Never again.
(Response: That does worry me …not just same old politicians, but also same old appointed bureaucrats to “advise” them on policies, laws and taxes. Scares me. H.o)
Mark Carney was an “advisor” and contributor to all the bad stuff that we have had to endure under the Liberals. He wants us now to believe that this has all changed when indeed judging by the company he keeps (Cabinet ministers are all Trudeau’s buddies), the lies he tells (his business deals, his “scrapping” of the carbon tax, etc.) and the ideas he has stolen from the Conservatives (I read a comment that said the Liberals steal the Conservative campaign, promise to implement and never do). If you vote the Liberals back in again, you deserve to be heavily taxed and poor. But really do the rest of us who can actually think for themselves do?
Best comment by a reporter so far is this one by Goldstein: “How many times are we going to be a nation of Charlie Browns believing that this time the Lucy Liberals will hold the football for us so we can kick ourselves into prosperity via their campaign promises?” One only has to look around those who are here like EAF and Johnston to know that there are many, many Lucy types who trust the football will be there for them. It won’t. Carney is an elitist who is even worse than Trudeau because he is more conniving and more deceitful.
(Response: I have written many times on this blog that, in my experience, governments get stale and arrogant the longer they are in power. The Liberals have been there for 10 years now and even though they have a new leader, most of rhe old crowd remain …and so does their clear disrespect of BC and the West. BUT have to admit, I still get an uneasy feeling of challenging credulity when I see Poilievre speak …and I believe many Canadians feel Carney just comes across better on TV …so this will e a really interesting campaign. H.o)