Mark Carney, the previous governor of the Financial institution of England, has confirmed he’s weighing up a bid to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister.
Trudeau introduced on Monday that he would step down after almost a decade in workplace, prompting the Liberal occasion to scramble for a brand new chief forward of an impending normal election.
Carney, 59, rose to prominence as the primary non-Briton to head the Financial institution of England. He beforehand led the Financial institution of Canada from 2008 to 2013, incomes a fame for his cool dealing with of the worldwide monetary disaster. Since leaving the Financial institution of England in 2020, Carney has served as chair at Brookfield Asset Administration and as a United Nations particular envoy for local weather motion and finance.
In an announcement quoted by Bloomberg, the place he sits as chair of the board, Carney mentioned he was “encouraged” by help from Liberal lawmakers and Canadians who “want us to move forward with positive change and a winning economic plan”. He pledged to seek the advice of members of the family earlier than making a definitive resolution.
Hypothesis round Carney’s attainable management ambitions has been fuelled by Trudeau’s falling ballot numbers within the face of excessive inflation, document meals costs and widespread voter fatigue. The Liberal authorities’s agenda for carbon pricing can also be below hearth from the Conservative occasion, whose chief Pierre Poilievre has labelled Carney “Carbon Tax Carney”.
Pollsters at the moment give the Conservatives a powerful probability of forming a majority authorities. A current Angus Reid Institute survey positioned Carney second behind former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland in a listing of potential Liberal leaders.
Trudeau’s resignation comes amid nervousness over Canada’s financial outlook and the opportunity of US tariffs below incoming president Donald Trump, which may doubtlessly harm Canadian commerce. An election is due earlier than October, although the precise date stays unconfirmed.
Carney’s numerous background — he holds Canadian, Irish, and, since 2018, British citizenship — provides a global factor to his profile. His financial pedigree and local weather change advocacy would possibly effectively enchantment to Liberals searching for a contemporary perspective for a celebration dealing with a troublesome electoral problem.