Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to chair the Liberal party’s economic growth task force ahead of the next federal election, the party announced Monday.
Carney, whose future in politics has been the subject of much speculation, will consult with business, union and Indigenous leaders and make recommendations to Trudeau and the Liberal policy committee.
“Mark’s unique ideas and perspective will play a key role in shaping the next steps in our plan to continue growing our economy, strengthen the middle class and quickly seize new opportunities for Canadian jobs and prosperity in a rapidly changing world,” Trudeau said in a press release.
Carney is due to address Liberal MPs this week at the Liberal parliamentary conference in Nanaimo, B.C.
The Liberal party said in a news release that Carney will “generate fresh ideas and help the party shape a practical, focused and impactful vision for Canada’s economic success.”
Carney, who led the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and later took the helm of the Bank of England, served as an informal adviser to Trudeau during the pandemic and spoke at the Liberal Party’s virtual convention in 2021. That speech sparked speculation that Carney might run for the Liberal party.
More recently, Carney has been seen as a possible successor as questions swirl about Trudeau’s political future.
“The Liberal Party of Canada has achieved real progress for all Canadians,” Carney said in a party statement. “With a winning growth plan, we can build the strongest economy in the G7 and an even better future for all of our people.”
The next federal election is officially scheduled for October 2025 but could come sooner if the government loses the House of Commons, a scenario made more likely by the NDP’s announcement last week that it would withdraw from a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberal Party.
Liberal caucuses are expected to meet in Nanaimo, British Columbia, to discuss Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s future, with his government’s approval rating falling in the polls and a key Montreal by-election just a week away.
“It’s going to be very helpful to hear a perspective from outside politics, someone who is well respected in the area of economic leadership,” Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu told reporters Monday outside the Liberal caucus in Nanaimo. “I look forward to meeting you in person.”
Also speaking to reporters in Nanaimo on Monday, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer called Carney’s appointment a “sham ploy.”
“At the end of the day, Mark Carney favors the same policies that Justin Trudeau has imposed on Canadians. They are fundamentally the same people,” Scheer told reporters.
“Mark Carney supports all of these extreme policies that have caused great suffering to Canadians.”
In response to Scheer’s comments, Hajdu said the Conservatives believe “we can deliver prosperity through cuts.”
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said she looks forward to meeting with Mark Carney, who has been appointed chair of the Liberal Party’s leadership task force on economic growth. She said it will be beneficial to have the perspective of someone outside politics.
