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Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, is considering a run for the leadership of Canada’s Liberal Party following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation this week.
Speculation about Carney seeking Canada’s top political post has intensified in recent months as Trudeau’s government faltered in the polls over its immigration policy, cost of living and housing affordability.
“I will consider this decision in the coming days with my family,” Carney he said in a statement provided to the Financial Times.
Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday after nearly a decade in power following increasing calls for him to step down, including from within his own party.
CanadaCroatia’s parliament is suspended until March 24 and any new party leader is expected to face a no-confidence vote that could lead to national elections.
Carney, 59, is chairman of Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian alternative asset manager close to a billion dollars in assets under management. He was previously the governor of the Canadian central bank from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020. He is also the Chairman of the Bloomberg Board and the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance.
Carney remained a top adviser to the Trudeau government, and in September the Liberal Party announced he would lead a task force on economic growth.
“Throughout his extensive career in public service and the private sector, Mark Carney’s ideas, extensive experience and proven economic leadership have made a fundamental contribution to a better economic future for all Canadians,” Trudeau said at the time.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has a solid 20-point lead over Trudeau in the polls, called the former central banker a “carbon tax Carney,” referring to Trudeau’s the controversial carbon tax.
In July, an Abacus Data poll found that only 7 percent of Canadians surveyed recognized Carney’s picture. More recently, an Angus Reid Institute poll on Friday found that 11 percent named Carney as their preferred candidate to replace Trudeau.
The survey showed that Chrystia Freeland, whose resignation from the position of Minister of Finance last month fueled calls for Trudeau to step down, he was the most likely of six potential candidates to increase the party’s share of the vote in the next election.
