Mark Carney's task: Make sense of today - From the Cluttered Desk with Keith Roulston

It’s still early in his term, but Prime Minister Mark Carney is well on his way to becoming one of Canada’s great prime ministers.
I must say I was doubtful about this even earlier this year. The Gordie Howe Bridge, paid for by the Canadian taxpayer, was supposed to open for traffic, but American President Donald Trump blocked the opening – even though the people of Detroit and Michigan were in favour. But Matthew Morounoun, private owner of the existing Ambassador Bridge, had given a $1 million donation to Trump’s campaign.

 

Carney arranged for the U.S. to get a share of tolls on the Canadian bridge and Trump agreed it could open. I wasn’t happy at the thought that my dollars helped to pay for the bridge, but Americans would share the tolls.

 

Then the free trade talks with the U.S. initially seemed to show that the Canadian government was prepared to accept some U.S. tariffs. Suddenly, at the last moment, as the U.S. tried to push for too much, Carney pulled out of the talks and proposed new tariffs of his own. Perhaps surprisingly, Canadians supported this move, which will cost them more. One poll showed 63 per cent of Canadians supported the move, though those whose jobs will be affected by U.S. tariffs were not so gung ho.

 

But Mark Carney’s international reputation is flying high. The former Governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada before that, is held in high regard in Europe. That regard was even boosted when he addressed the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. 

 

“I would like to tell you that the other countries, especially intermediate powers like Canada, are not powerless,” he declared. “They have the capacity to build a new order that encompasses our values, such as respect for human rights, sustainable development, solidarity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the various states. The power of the less powerful starts with honesty.”

 

That speech drew attention around the world, including the U.S., where I wasn’t even sure they knew the name of the Canadian Prime Minister, given how consumed they are by American news.

 

Recently, Carney’s high regard in Europe was flagged when Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, President of the European Union, invited Canada to be the first-ever associate member. No one quite knows what that involves yet, since the meaning needs to be worked out, but it shows the respect that both Canada and the Prime Minister hold with our European neighbours.

 

We are entering a new phase of our history, thanks to Donald Trump. At the same time as he suggested we should be the 51st state, Prime Minister Carney is staking out new territory. Recently Canada and Vietnam signed a trade agreement. Carney is travelling the world negotiating, and signing trade agreements as he seeks to reduce our dependence on U.S. trade.
Canada has undergone a long transition. We started out as a British colony then became an independent country, though still tied to the crown. As we grew, we became more dependent on the U.S.

 

We became more independent in 1967 as we celebrated the centennial of our independence and began to think more of our place in the world. At the same time, we integrated more with the U.S. through the free trade agreement. Instead of a Canadian auto industry that produced cars for Canada, we became part of a North American market producing cars and car parts for cars in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. But Donald Trump sees these as American cars that are being produced in Canada and Mexico and wants all these jobs in the U.S.

 

So this is the difficult task that Mark Carney faces: how to protect Canadian jobs when Donald Trump thinks they should be in the U.S.

 

There will be bitter times ahead as Canadians lose their jobs. Whether Mark Carney can hold the popularity he now does is questionable, but as long as he faces off against Donald Trump and doesn’t back down, he seems likely to maintain his status.
Canada currently faces one of the most difficult times it has faced in more than 150 years. Can we survive? Carney is currently rebuilding the strength of our armed forces to protect against the possibility of U.S. invasion. Americans have invaded before, particularly in the War of 1812. It was fear of a huge U.S. army set free after the conclusion of the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), that spurred the creation of Confederation in 1867.

 

Canada has always been susceptible to the influence of the powerful nation to the south. This is the challenge that faces Prime Minister Mark Carney today. At a time when the U.S. President sees his friends as rivals and sees Russia, China and North Korea as friends, how do you make sense of the world?