Novelist Margaret Atwood once met a neurosurgeon who told her that he was a big fan of hers, that he had read all of her books, and that when he retired he hoped to write a few books of his own. .
“What a coincidence,” Atwood reportedly responded. “Because when I retire, I hope to go into neurosurgery. »
This anecdote was told by Rob Oliphant, the Liberal MP for Don Valley West, when asked before Christmas what type of leader he Liberals who I should turn to – if this position becomes vacant this week.
Oliphant was not talking specifically about Marc Carney but this anecdote, for a professional politician like Oliphant – first elected in 2008 – is an apt metaphor for the former central bank governor.
Carney, now 59, is considering entering politics after a long and successful career as an investment banker, civil servant and central bank governor (for the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England).
In recent weeks, he has spent many hours on the phone with Liberal MPs seeking their advice and support in running for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party, should that position become vacant in the coming days.
Although Carney was not available for an interview Sunday, a source familiar with his activities said Carney spoke to “dozens” of Liberal MPs over the Christmas break, but declined to identify those MPs.
Global News sent messages to more than 40 Liberal MPs asking about these conversations with Carney, but only one confirmed receiving a call from the former Bank of Canada governor. A dozen responded that they had not had contact with Carney and the rest had not yet responded as of Sunday evening.
The MP who spoke to Carney, however, said several others had received calls from Carney and the MP said some supported his leadership aspirations, while others remained hesitant.
Oliphant, reached Sunday, said he hasn’t spoken to Carney, but his warning — that politics is serious business for seasoned professionals — remains, for him, valid.
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“Being a politician requires very specific skills,” Oliphant said Sunday.
“It’s not something you just add at the end of a career, regardless of how successful you were in your previous career.”
“This would apply to anyone, including Mark Carney, who I have not spoken to but for whom I have great respect.”
Oliphant, who has publicly called for the departure of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, did not identify a preferred successor, but among the Liberals who have expressed a preference are Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology. of Industry François-Philippe Champagne were frequently mentioned, as was former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark.
Most Liberal MPs contacted by Global News offered their thoughts on the prospect of a Carney candidacy on the condition that they not be identified: each for different reasons, but most out of respect for Carney’s attempt to see if politics can, indeed, be his next career.
All of these MPs spoke with admiration of Carney’s accomplishments, business acumen and experience.
However, many were skeptical that he would become a successful enough politician to turn around the fortunes of the Liberals.
“I’m not yet convinced by Mark Carney,” said one MP who, like many others, believes the party would be better served by a new leader with extensive business and political experience and who would also advance the party. Liberals at the center of the political spectrum.
Nearly all MPs interviewed by Global News believe Trudeau has pushed the party too far left and that this shift has played a key role in the Liberals’ decline.
Some lawmakers also expressed frustration with Carney’s hesitation on policy matters.
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney speaks to reporters at the Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
For example, after Carney made a closed-door presentation to Liberal MPs at a caucus retreat last fall in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Mississauga MP Iqra Khalid criticized Carney for ” made noise” with liberals and flirted with the media about his political future for two years.
Two sources in the room said Khalid received applause from her liberal colleagues for the way she challenged Carney.
Some lawmakers in the room for that conversation said Carney’s presentation was disappointing and full of platitudes. One MP said it was “boring”.
But the Liberal MP who responded to Carney’s call last week encouraged his caucus colleagues to be a little more patient.
“Mark is an extremely gifted Canadian with an impressive record of public service,” said the MP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“It would behoove all members of the Liberal caucus to give him great consideration as a potential leader.”
What does Carney want?
Carney, in his calls to lawmakers, seeks their advice and support, a source familiar with his activities said, and tries to make three points.
First, he says he would be ready, from day one, to deal effectively with the new administration of Donald Trump.
Second, he argues that he can be a candidate of “change” – that he represents a clean break from the current Trudeau government.
This claim is already being disputed by Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, who have peppered social media accounts with posts claiming that Trudeau and Carney are one and the same and that whatever you get with Trudeau is what you would get with “Carney with a carbon tax,” as Conservative MPs call it.
The third and final point Carney made in these phone calls: He is in a unique position to argue that a government under his leadership would be a better manager of the economy than any other Liberal leader, and certainly a better than a government led by Poilievre. .
The source said Carney was careful not to give the impression he was removing outgoing President Justin Trudeau from office – but emphasizes that his professional experience allows him to make economic arguments in the style of the Conservative leader , who has been an MP for almost half his life cannot.
David Akin is the chief political correspondent for Global News