Friday March 14, 2025 | NATIONAL [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Better results faster to all Canada. was Carney’s opening line.
He says he and his new cabinet are ready to respond to new threats and seize new opportunities.
He wants to “grow more higher paying jobs, improving affordability and making Canada more secure”.
Key points in his mission in leading Canada as the 24th prime minister:
- Action oriented – driven by a smaller by highly experienced team to meet the moment we are in.
- Protecting Canadian workers and their families in the face of unjustified foreign actions.
- A government that spends less, so Canada can spend more.
- New trade corridors with reliable partners — noting his first international trip as PM will be to Europe, where he expects to build economic bonds.
- Creating one Canadian economy out of 13 — putting a strong emphasis on trade diversification across Canada.
“Negativity isn’t strength,” says Carney, adding that “it won’t pay the rent or the mortgage, or bring down the price of groceries or win a trade war”.
Strong focussed cabinet:
The new prime minister emphasized a few times that he and his new cabinet will immediately get to work with their first cabinet meeting. Those behind me will be taking some important decisions this afternoon.
“The news today is behind me,” referring to who he has appointed as his ministers.
Carney says he and his cabinet are “meeting the moment” and that is is a “moment of crisis”.
Smaller cabinet, more focused, focused on action. Everybody in cabinet is senior. Top issue is the crisis with respect to the US and the opportunity for trade diversification. Cabinet will be “seamlessly addressing these issues”.
Carbon tax:
As for the carbon tax. Carney will “end it by the end of the day”.
In addition to the economic impacts of that, the move also eliminates one of the key talking points of the Conservative opposition.
Dropping the carbon tax also incidentally takes the weight of that file off the shoulders of Steven Guilbeault who seems to be increasingly important in Carney’s political world.
Canada is not the US:
“We are masters in our own home. Our country is united and strong,” said Carney, with further appeal to the broader Canadian audience.
“We will never in any way shape or form be the United States. We are a very fundamentally a different country,” said Carney.
Taking a business-like approach to governance, Carney pointed out that Canada is the largest client of the United States in many industries.
“Clients expect respect and working together in a proper commercial way,” says Carney.
Carney’s first foreign trip is to Europe, not the USA. Heading to Europe is about shoring up allies in the economic fight that lies ahead for Canada in dealing with the USA.
Western factor:
As for the presence of just a few western Canada MPs, Carney made the salient point that people’s experience of the full country is important to see in addition to where they might presently live. He held up Chrystia Freeland in that regard … growing up in Alberta and now living in Toronto.
“I did grow up in Alberta and I launched my campaign in Edmonton. Today is not the time to announce the riding where I will run.”
There are currently now two cabinet ministers from east of Ontario: Terry Duguid (Manitoba) and Jonathan Wilkinson (BC).
Canadian identity:
Carney highlighted Steven Guilbeault as a key cabinet minister, now in the role of Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant.
Language is part of identity. He complimented “the very existence of Radio Canada. It goes back to Canadian identity and culture.”
Canadian identity includes language, nature, oceans and biodiversity, Carney outlined, saying it needs to be protected and promoted.
He pointed out there are three cultural origins in Canada: Indigenous, French and British.
Working with Trump:
“I look forward to speaking with President Trump. We respect the United States and president Trump. He has put some important issues at the top of his agenda,” said Carney, who then for a moment talked about eliminating the “scourge” that is fentanyl.
American workers and American jobs are important. Carney highlighted: “the importance we put on Canadian workers and Canadian jobs”.
“We will look for avenues to work together,” said Carney in his first media scrum today.
Carney worked with Trump (in his first term) at the G7 and G20. “We’ll both be looking out for our countries.”
Public and private:
Carney’s assets are already in a blind trust — something he had 120 days to do.
He points out that his assets were earned through employment as both a public servant and in the private sector.
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