Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, has confirmed that he is considering a bid to succeed Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister of Canada.
Trudeau announced Monday that he would step down after nearly a decade in office, sending the Liberal Party scrambling for a new leader ahead of the looming general election.
Carney (59 years old) rose to prominence as the first non-British person to head the Bank of England. He previously led the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013, earning a reputation for his impressive handling of the global financial crisis. Since leaving the Bank of England in 2020, Carney has served as chairman of Brookfield Asset Management and as a UN special envoy for climate action and finance.
In a statement reported by Bloomberg, where he serves as chairman, Carney said he was “encouraged” by the support of Liberal and Canadian lawmakers who “want us to move forward with positive change and a winning economic plan.” He pledged to consult family members before making a final decision.
Speculation about Carney’s potential leadership ambitions has been heightened by Trudeau’s declining poll numbers in the face of rising inflation, record food prices and widespread voter fatigue. The Liberal government’s carbon pricing agenda is also under fire from the Conservative Party, whose leader Pierre Poilievre has dubbed Carney the “Carney of the carbon tax.”
Opinion polls currently give the conservatives a strong chance of forming a majority government. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute placed Carney second behind former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on a list of potential Liberal leaders.
Trudeau’s resignation comes amid concern about Canada’s economic outlook and the possibility of US tariffs under incoming President Donald Trump, which could hurt Canadian trade. Elections are scheduled to be held before October, although the exact date remains uncertain.
Carney’s diverse background – he has held Canadian, Irish and British citizenship since 2018 – adds an international element to his profile. His economic pedigree and advocacy for climate change may attract liberals looking for a fresh perspective on a party facing a tough electoral challenge.