Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says he will attend the upcoming Liberal convention in Ottawa, and that he believes the party is “on the right track.”
With MPs in the final stretch before the House of Commons rises for the summer at the end of June, the convention is an opportunity for the party to take stock of its policy direction.
Carney — who now works as the head of transition investing for Brookfield Asset Management, and as a United Nations special envoy on climate action and finance — drew lots of attention for his attendance at the 2021 Liberal convention, with some speculating the former central banker was looking to get into politics.
Carney told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, in an exclusive interview airing Sunday, while he’ll be at this year’s convention, he has no plans to deliver a speech, and instead “will be listening.”
“Well, look, I mean, part of the reason why I went to the convention — albeit virtually, two years ago — and I'll go next week, is that I support the government,” Carney said, when asked whether he believes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should lead the Liberals into the next general election against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
“I think the government's on the right track,” he added. “You know, we are the best country in the world. We can always improve, the party can always improve, the world is changing, and so (I am attending) to provide support to the government and to the prime minister.”
When pressed twice on whether he thinks Trudeau should lead the Liberals against Poilievre in the next election, Carney would only say: “I support the prime minister.”
The convention is set for May 4-6, with former first lady of the United States and secretary of state Hillary Clinton slated to deliver a speech.
Additional keynote speakers set to attend the convention include former prime minister Jean Chretien, and Liberal Party of Canada president Suzanne Cowan, among others.
Mark Carney discusses the upcoming Liberal convention in the video at the top of this article.
His full exclusive interview with Kapelos, which covers a wide range of topics, including the economy, climate change, and the future of the Liberal party, will air Sunday on CTV’s Question Period.
