Meet our new Prime Minister designate, Mark Carney
March 9, 2025 4:14 PM Subscribe
Mark Carney wins race to replace Trudeau. “We didn’t ask for this fight,” Carney said, referencing Trump’s threats to annex Canada. “But Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.”
“So Americans should make no mistake. In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”
Carney is expected to officially call a federal election within weeks.
Carney is expected to officially call a federal election within weeks.
Am I thrilled he's going to cut the carbon tax? No, but then I understand we are in survival mode. The only bright side of that is PP was going to use that cudgel in his campaign. Can't use it if it's gone, Milhouse Without the Glasses.
posted by Kitteh at 4:17 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 4:17 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]
I had forgotten how charismatic a speaker Chrétien was. Even at 91 and stumbling some words, he kinda stole the show.
posted by Clever User Name at 4:19 PM on March 9 [2 favorites]
posted by Clever User Name at 4:19 PM on March 9 [2 favorites]
Am I thrilled he's going to cut the carbon tax? No, but then I understand we are in survival mode.
Once it is gone, it's pretty clear that it will never come back. I could understand a carbon tax holiday that lasts as long as tariffs are in place, but just getting rid of it entirely (except for on large businesses, apparently) is awfully depressing. An all carrot and no stick incentives approach is clearly not going to get us where we need to be in terms of emissions reductions.
And I'm not so sure that it's a big win to implement the opposition's preferred policies for them.
posted by ssg at 4:27 PM on March 9 [4 favorites]
Once it is gone, it's pretty clear that it will never come back. I could understand a carbon tax holiday that lasts as long as tariffs are in place, but just getting rid of it entirely (except for on large businesses, apparently) is awfully depressing. An all carrot and no stick incentives approach is clearly not going to get us where we need to be in terms of emissions reductions.
And I'm not so sure that it's a big win to implement the opposition's preferred policies for them.
posted by ssg at 4:27 PM on March 9 [4 favorites]
Last June a friend and I had a picnic lunch in High Park during which he said to me, "Pierre Poilievre will win the next election with a majority, and he'll be in office a long time."
I said, grimly, "You may be right, but I hope that you're not."
If the election had been the following week, he would have been right, but at that point, we were nearly a year and a half away from the next federal election, and a year is an eternity in politics -- it can contain multitudes. I didn't see how Trudeau could turn things around, but I hoped that somehow he would, or that something would happen to prevent PP from taking office. Nine months later, things have happened. We're not out of the woods yet, but I think there's grounds for hope that Carney can pull this off and that Poilievre will subsequently be ousted as CPC leader, thereby becoming nothing more than a particularly irritating footnote in Canadian history.
posted by orange swan at 4:32 PM on March 9 [4 favorites]
I said, grimly, "You may be right, but I hope that you're not."
If the election had been the following week, he would have been right, but at that point, we were nearly a year and a half away from the next federal election, and a year is an eternity in politics -- it can contain multitudes. I didn't see how Trudeau could turn things around, but I hoped that somehow he would, or that something would happen to prevent PP from taking office. Nine months later, things have happened. We're not out of the woods yet, but I think there's grounds for hope that Carney can pull this off and that Poilievre will subsequently be ousted as CPC leader, thereby becoming nothing more than a particularly irritating footnote in Canadian history.
posted by orange swan at 4:32 PM on March 9 [4 favorites]
I could understand a carbon tax holiday that lasts as long as tariffs are in place, but just getting rid of it entirely (except for on large businesses, apparently) is awfully depressing.
I hope someone in his cabinet suggests that because I would prefer that as well.
I am also less confident of a PP win than I was even a few months ago. During this whole crisis, PP has shown himself to be not very up to speed? Like, he waits too long to see which way to jump and when he does jump, the goalposts have moved again. He presents as very ineffective and loosey-goosey on the tariffs and the response. I can't speak for the hardcore PCs ride or dies, but I suspect Canadians might keep the Liberals simply because they were the party in charge to respond to a hostile US government and it's better the devil you know, than the one you don't.
posted by Kitteh at 4:40 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]
I hope someone in his cabinet suggests that because I would prefer that as well.
I am also less confident of a PP win than I was even a few months ago. During this whole crisis, PP has shown himself to be not very up to speed? Like, he waits too long to see which way to jump and when he does jump, the goalposts have moved again. He presents as very ineffective and loosey-goosey on the tariffs and the response. I can't speak for the hardcore PCs ride or dies, but I suspect Canadians might keep the Liberals simply because they were the party in charge to respond to a hostile US government and it's better the devil you know, than the one you don't.
posted by Kitteh at 4:40 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]
One of the CBC commentators said the carbon tax woukd just be rebranded. And not that he said he would remove it from "families, small- and medium-sized businesses." Suggesting however they're defining large businesses, they will still pay.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:51 PM on March 9
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:51 PM on March 9
PP has been campaigning about getting rid of the carbon tax and people across the political spectrum have been receptive. Getting rid of the carbon tax is a political necessity if the Liberals are to stay in power and frankly, it’s a win-win; Carney separates himself from Trudeau, PP can’t criticize the decision and people who usually vote Liberal/NDP but have been considering voting differently are coming back. Further, Trudeau is looking great right now due to his words and actions regarding tariffs and this could be a really big wave that Carney and the Libs can ride. If the objective is to not have that turd PP elected then we’re going in the right direction. I think that the next few weeks will present with a number of opportunities for Carney to shine and I hope that he grabs those opportunities and runs with them.
posted by ashbury at 5:19 PM on March 9
posted by ashbury at 5:19 PM on March 9
The morning after the US Election, I joked to my wife, "I'm not sure what's gonna happen,but somehow it's going wind up with Prime Minister Doug Ford."
It's suddenly possible that PP fails and gets turfed, and Doug quits as Ontario Premier to run for the federal Conservatives.
As much as I loathe that idea, it's still better than Poilievre.
posted by the one second advantage at 5:28 PM on March 9
It's suddenly possible that PP fails and gets turfed, and Doug quits as Ontario Premier to run for the federal Conservatives.
As much as I loathe that idea, it's still better than Poilievre.
posted by the one second advantage at 5:28 PM on March 9
"I'm not sure what's gonna happen,but somehow it's going wind up with Prime Minister Doug Ford."
But Ford will have so much trouble giving up what he truly loves, messing with Toronto...
posted by clawsoon at 5:35 PM on March 9 [3 favorites]
But Ford will have so much trouble giving up what he truly loves, messing with Toronto...
posted by clawsoon at 5:35 PM on March 9 [3 favorites]
The hockey game last night was littered with Liberal ads doing mashups of all the nice things Trump has been saying about PP (until recently when someone told him that was not helping) and Conservative ads attacking Melanie Joly and Chrystia Freeland. Which is odd until you realize what they have in common.
I have to grit my teeth to support a central banker but it may have come to that. I think this will be one of those elections when the NDP get knocked back quite a bit, probably to 10 seats or something.
posted by Rumple at 5:35 PM on March 9
I have to grit my teeth to support a central banker but it may have come to that. I think this will be one of those elections when the NDP get knocked back quite a bit, probably to 10 seats or something.
posted by Rumple at 5:35 PM on March 9
I’m not anywhere near chicken-counting, but a PP win looked all but inevitable only a few months ago. I was convinced JT would cling to power, and get steamrollered in one of the recent Anyone But The Last Lot anti-incumbent waves. Not my ideal, but I’ll happily take a competent neoliberal over the frothing-at-the-mouth loons that have been presented as alternatives of late
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:43 PM on March 9
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:43 PM on March 9
I have to grit my teeth to support a central banker
The technocrats got us into this economic mess; let's hope they can get us out of it before reactionary populism eats the world.
posted by clawsoon at 5:43 PM on March 9
The technocrats got us into this economic mess; let's hope they can get us out of it before reactionary populism eats the world.
posted by clawsoon at 5:43 PM on March 9
« Older I have long been a wet-lipped, weak-kneed...
"Damn Carney really getting the digs in at Poilievre, calling him a career politician who has never put together a payroll and has never worked in the private sector, saying he'd "let the world burn"
I bet Poilievre is very unhappy tonight lmao"
From Gilmore's replies: "I bet that Poilievre is very unhappy every night."
posted by orange swan at 4:17 PM on March 9 [5 favorites]