Jamie Sarkonak: Mark Carney has no plan, but did you know he played hockey?

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If Mark Carney's leadership launch on Thursday is indicative of the rest of his campaign, we're in for seven monotonous and inaccurate weeks filled with memories of the man playing hockey in his youth.

Not much was actually said at the community league hall in Edmonton, where he announced his intention to lead the Liberal Party. However, the atmosphere spoke volumes. Older Liberal supporters filled the room, consistent with demographic patterns showing in the polls. During the lengthy event, the media stood still for three hours, with only 45 minutes during which Carney spoke.

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The message, when he finally spoke? He acts as the economics man; the man of national pride; the man who defends institutions; the man who grew up in Canada and is Canadian (and Irish and British). He is above populism and slogans, he is about planning.

Only he had no plans to show.

He could explain his concept of a plan in a level-headed, stately voice at the shareholders' meeting, tailored to convey confidence without passion. Even. In. Stopped. French. But the words had no substance whatsoever.

On the economics front, Carney would replace the carbon tax with something else that is more efficient; We don't know what, but it will be comprehensive, with more power than a three-word slogan, he told us. And he must be trusted, whatever his plan, because populists do not understand how the economy actually works in our society.

By railing against conservatives for wanting to demolish and destroy, including many of the things that all of us and ordinary people depend on, he seemed to be opposing program cuts himself. That might be fine if we weren't living in an era of massive government expansion, in which countless multi-million dollar buckets of crony money have been dumped by the Liberal Party into the mouths of ever-hungry progressive interest groups and liberal-friendly corporations. On the other hand, he lamented that the current government is spending too much. Interpret it as you wish.

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When it came to national pride, he resorted to clichés. Canada is the greatest country in the world, built on hard work and great values, and should be built into the strongest economy in the G7, blah blah blah. The same generic stuff you've definitely heard before. He has at least managed to avoid resorting to tired statements about diversity is our strength, and has said numerous times that he has played hockey in the past, because hockey is a Canadian sport, and he grew up in Canada, and he has skated on rinks, and Did I mention he used to play hockey?

Complaints about a broken Canada, which have become central to dinner conversations across the country and in Conservative political campaigns, are corrosive. Attacking core institutions is simply not the way we do it. Medium to high expectations are un-Canadian, you see.

As for Carney's political plans, he is not yet sure where he will run for MP (I will be running for MP). Somewhere.)

He responded warmly to the question of whether he would remain as Liberal leader if his party lost the elections: he made promises to his colleagues about, first and foremost, what we can do for Canadians, but especially about how we can improve the way in which we build and strengthen the Liberal government. party for the long term. A simple yes or no would have been more meaningful.

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If this was an assignment, I'd say Carney didn't read the instructions. He provided a launch that might have seemed intimidating before 2022, when the Conservative opponent was Andrew Scheer or Erin OToole. The concepts of a plan, articulated by an articulate, highly educated senior bureaucrat, would have played well against a confused, meek opposition that folded at every challenge. But today?

Carney presents himself as Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's straight man, with expertise instead of emotion, and by being methodical instead of impulsive. He wants to appear calm and, on the other hand, show his conservative counterpart that he is shrill.

This could resonate if Poilievre was associated with comic exaggeration. But right now it is better known as a reflection of the simmering frustration felt among the population with the state of affairs. well received since day 1 of his own leadership campaign. As far as first impressions go, Carneys started us off with a dud. He only has until March 9 to bring it to life

National Post

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