Mark Carney has entered politics. The former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England finally said yes to playing a voluntary role with a party he is persistently rumoured to lead.
The role is as Chair of the “Leader’s Task Force on Economic Growth,” and is described in the news release announcing it as ‘helping the Liberal Party of Canada develop, and shape ideas for the next phase of Canada’s strategy for near- and longer-term economic growth and productivity, building on the Liberal government’s work to strengthen the middle class, and deliver lower costs for families.” The word salad of a description tries too hard not to sound like the Finance Minister’s job.
Part of Carney’s job will include “meetings and events to hear ideas from Canadians in the weeks and months ahead.” Those meetings will include experts in the business community, labour movement, Indigenous economic leadership, innovators, and more,” which, again sounds a lot like Chrystia Freeland’s job as Finance Minister. Specifically it sounds like pre-budget consultations. Prime Ministers may appoint a cabinet minister from outside Parliament, so Carney as Finance is not without recent precedent. Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Michael Fortier as a cabinet Minister, while he was sitting in the Senate. An eventual transition to Finance Minister Mark Carney is a possibility.
Does this mean it’s going to happen? As an eternal optimist I’d say no, not necessarily. This could simply be an act of public service by a man with ample experience in the financial services industry to their country. It could be a simple offer of expertise to the government of the day, and a political party who is desperate for some good news, and new ideas.
But as someone who remembers 2019, I’d say who are we kidding here? We’ve seen the movie before. It starts with stories of ‘receiving assurances’ and ‘enjoying confidence. Chrystia Freeland acknowledged having had a series of in-depth meetings with Justin Trudeau” as the Globe & Mail puts it. Global News’ reported around the same time that she also had the confidence she needs to continue working as Finance Minister. In a scrum dated September 10, she revealed that they’d had a long chat over the weekend. “It’s really great for our team to have Mark providing advice to the Liberal party, so that we can support Canada,” A neutral answer that does nothing to dispel the rumours and speculation.
If Freeland’s shuffle goes to the pattern established by the shuffle of Jody Wilson Raybould, there’ll be rumours about her actions around some policy difference. Or maybe Trudeau blames her for the loss of Toronto-St Paul’s, and possibly other currently ongoing by-elections. And then one snowy winter day just before the house resumes after Christmas, the call will go out that there’s yet another cabinet shuffle coming. More rumours, and innuendo from ‘unnamed sources’ or an ‘unnamed staffer in the PMO. Finally Chrystia Freeland will be out as Finance, and Mark Carney will be in.
I hope I’m wrong. Shuffling the first female Finance Minister on top of shuffling only the second female Defense Minister, as well as the first Indigenous female Justice Minister and Attorney General in the space of a decade is a bad look. The established pattern says more about Prime Minister Trudeau’s ability to ignore smart, capable women, than it does the individuals in question. If he moves Freeland out of finance Trudeau’s feminist credibility will be no more, as will his government.