You have no choice but to be a spectator of Mark Carney’s astroturfing. After all, the Liberals have suspended Canadian parliamentary democracy to make it happen.
Whether he is portrayed as an outsider, a new voice or a charismatic figure, the Carney campaign’s essence is convincing Canada that he is someone he is not.
The initial step is puffing up Carney’s résumé. Perhaps this is the party’s plan to resonate with young professionals who usually do the same when applying for their first real job out of university.
Footage of him as the governor of the Bank of Canada during the Great Recession has become central to his leadership campaign, with Carney stating on X, “I was running the Bank of Canada through the global financial crisis.”
That part of Carney’s career gave rise to his nickname as Canada’s “rockstar banker.”
Another plank of the Carney astroturf is convincing Canadians that this rockstar’s signature classic was a solo album rather than part of a band. Attempting to erase the work completed by the Harper government during the financial crisis is perfectly in line with the goals of the Liberal party.
It should be clear that the Conservative government guided Canada through that uncertain time. Stephen Harper and former finance minister Jim Flaherty called the big shots while Carney adapted to them. It is no different than current Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem working with the Liberals during the pandemic.
Back in 2015, Carney himself did not hesitate to praise the late Flaherty’s work at a speech in Dublin.
As for the title of “rockstar,” it hardly fits. Traits like charisma, flamboyance and maverick tendencies come to mind when people refer to rockstars. Off-script, Carney has all the charm of the teacher from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, droning on about tariffs as students struggle to stay awake. Should Carney fail in his political ambitions, he could certainly monetize his speeches as a sleep aid.
Canadians will have to endure Carney’s lectures because the Liberals have decided they must, for their own good. Just about all of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political gang has lined up behind Carney for an effortless transition.
Trudeau deserves every bit of criticism that comes his way, but his speech on Saturday announcing Canada’s retaliatory measures against Trump’s tariffs was something Carney is simply incapable of delivering. Trudeau’s public speaking abilities, which far outstrip his abilities as prime minister, are a major reason why he ascended in politics in the first place.
True to form in what may be his final major speech as prime minister, he effectively expressed the betrayal felt by many Canadians at Trump’s intransigence, rightfully invoking memories of Canadian soldiers bleeding alongside their American allies on distant shores.
The day before, Carney made an appearance on CTV News, where he argued that a carbon pricing regime slapped on major producers would not impact everyday Canadians because they apparently have little use for steel. It was a strange line from a guy whose campaign slogan is “It’s time to build.”
A slip of the tongue, perhaps, in between one of his endless, grating verbal crutches.
Take Carney outside his comfortable realm of monetary policy, prepared speeches and edited footage, and he is far more nervous. It’s worse when he speaks in French.
None of this is a reflection of Carney’s intellectual capabilities, but it is certainly not what people expect from the “rockstar central banker” he is being advertised as. If any Liberal is the rockstar, it is the man he seeks to replace, or Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who is far more capable of selling out venues than any Liberal right now.
One of Carney’s biggest selling points is that he is a non-ideological technocrat and an “outsider.”
What sort of outsider coordinates fiscal policy with prime ministers in Canada and Great Britain before moving on to advise the latter on energy policy? Outsiders are not in daily contact with cabinet ministers as they negotiate foreign trade deals with the president of the United States, and they certainly do not party with Prince Andrew.
This is another key piece of Carney’s astroturfing. His lifestyle is so far removed from the average Canadian that they could only imagine the ease with which he can move between countries and slip into just about any job he desires.
Becoming prime minister is one the Trudeau Liberals are more than happy to assist him with. They would be nowhere near as eager to line up behind a man who promised radical change from all they have done since 2015.
All the Liberals have done during their decade in office is help break a great country and leave its economy gravely vulnerable to a belligerent United States. Canadians deserve to know if Carney is something new or a status quo man masquerading as change.
It is also all too plausible that, having no ideology save for power, the Liberals will support whoever they think will best keep them there.
None of it is a valid reason to re-elect them. Carney represents what is best for the Liberal party, not what is best for Canada, and that will become all too obvious between now and election day.
National Post