Thursday January 16, 2025 | EDMONTON, AB
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
“I’m going to be completely focussed on getting our economy back on track,” said Mark Carney in his speech to announce his candidacy to become the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The successful Liberal leader candidate will become the Prime Minister of Canada on March 9.
“I’m running for prime minister of all of Canada,” Carney told media today.
Launching his party leadership campaign from western Canada is aimed at gaining more seats from Alberta in particular but possibly also BC and Saskatchewan.
Another Liberal Party leadership contender is Chrystia Freeland who is reportedly announcing her campaign tomorrow in Toronto. She is hoping to pull support from the Quebec base of Liberals as well as the Greater Toronto area where Carney will also have support based on his credentials of having been the Governor of the Bank of Canada (and after that Governor of the Bank of England).

Economy is stagnant:
Carney says the Canadian economy is stagnant where wages are frozen but costs keep escalating.
He notes a fractured political divide, with Canadians against Canadians, whereas this is now a time for stepping us to look at the problems faced by the whole country.
“Now we face a threat from our closest trading partner and traditional ally,” said Carney, taking a swipe at incoming US President Donald Trump who “threatens economic force on his most steadfast allies”.

“Canadians face challenges in support of one another,” declared Carney. “Our times are anything but ordinary”
“The system is not working as it should and it’s not working as it could. People are anxious, no wonder.” he said, listing off people falling behind financially, and not being able to find a home or a doctor.
“Canada is the best country in the world but it could still be even better,” said Carney. “We can’t redistribute what we don’t have.”
“I’m here to build the strongest economy for all Canadians. We need change that works for people. I’m going to be completely focussed on getting our economy back on track.”
Even if Trump and his threats didn’t exist, growth is too slow, wages are too low, essentials like rent and groceries are too costly, and class taxes are too high.
Not yet ready to AI revolution and energy transition work for all Canadians. I’ll propose some big changes and some new ideas.
He says the carbon tax needs to be replaced with something else, and that the buying power of Canadians needs to be restored. Businesses need to be more competitive and households need to made whole. “Reality is different. Canadians will miss that money,” he said with regard to how the carbon tax would be eliminated if the Conservatives win the election in 2025.
“in the end, this is going to hurt them,” said Carney regarding the impact of US tariffs on Canadian exports that are sold into the US.
Challenging the Conservative leader:
“Populists don’t understand how our system actually works,” said Carney about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Playing on the triplet speech style of Pierre Poilievre, Carney today said the comparison between himself and Poilievre is “experience vs incompetent, plan vs slogan, calm vs chaos”.

He remarked on Poilievre’s use of “slogans, slander and sound bites”.
“In these times sending Pierre Poilievre to negotiate with Donald Trump is the worst possible idea,” said Carney, looking ahead as to who might win as prime minister in the upcoming 2025 federal election.
He says that Poilievre attacks the core of Canada’s institutions. You can’t lead a country “when you’re attacking more than half of it”, Carney said in a media availability after his early-afternoon announcement.
Liberals in the 2025 election:
“The fightback starts now. We are going to win the general election,” said Carney about the federal election that is currently scheduled for October 20, 2025 but could come sooner if there is a failed non-confidence vote in the House of Commons after MPs again convene on March 24.
“The point is what we do when we win the general election,” said Carney today. He wants to “build a strong economy that works for everyone”.
Carney said he would want to see Canadians “coming together to stand up for Canada against Donald Trump, to build an even better Canada”.
“We can build bridge between each other. We can build the strongest economy in the G7. Canada is a proud nation of builders. And now in these extraordinary times, it’s time to build together,” says Carney.
“He wants to build the Liberal party for the long term because of the good it can do,” Carney told media today.
Background:
Carney is pulling his north and Alberta background out of the political toolbox after being known nationally as the former Bank of Canada governor.
He was born in Fort Smith NWT and grew up in Edmonton. He was introduced as “a man to lead us in to the future of Canada”.
He held a role at the Untied Nations after being the Governor of Canada during the 2008 economic crisis and Governor of England during Brexit.
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