Robert Fife: Globe & Mail Ottawa Bureau Chief on Mark Carney's victory in the Canadian Election

A staggering victory for economist Mark Carney, who's set to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada's next Prime Minister. 

The 59-year-old has an ample resume, having served as head of the banks of Canada and England. 

He's indicated he'll hold his ground against Donald Trump as the US President holds the threat of more tariffs over Canada's head.  

Globe & Mail Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife says he'll move quick on the election front - to keep up momentum and stop Conservative attack ads against him.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Very big day for Canada as the governing party elected
a new leader of Mark Canney, after the resignation, of
course of Trudeau. Cannie, you know his name from the
Central Bank, both in Canada and in England or Britain,
and usually Trudeau staying on as Prime Minister while Cannie
warms into the role and an election has to be
held before October. Dven Male Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fipes
with us Robert Morning, Good morning. I like him from

(00:23):
his day's banking. Is he any good as a politician?
Do we know?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Well, we don't know that actually, because he's what we
have seen of him is that he's kind of a
wooden speaker, not surprisingly for somebody who's been a central banker.
And he doesn't really take questions very well, tough questions
from reporters. He's used to more softball questions from financial reporters.

(00:49):
And because he was the favorite to win this race,
he's been he's been kind of avoiding a lot of
tough media questions. But he wanted an absolutely resounding victory
on Sunday night, eighty six percent vote from the party faithful,
which is unheard of in recent times to see somebody

(01:12):
win in the leadership like that, and that's largely because
Canadians are scared stiff of what Donald Trump is up
to with his trade war.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Let me come back to that in just a couple
of moments. The fact that he's warming into the job.
The fact is anybody saying will look might if you
want the job to get into being the prime minister,
stride a wire or else? What are you doing? Does
anyone signing that or is it sort of this is
a good deal.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well, he will be prime minister in the next coming days.
There's a transition to power which he said will be
seamless and it will be quick. So we expect the
cabinet will be sworn in, you know, Wednesday maybe at
the earliest, or Friday at the latest. So that's not
really the issue.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Here, Okay, is more of the Is he more of
the same? Is he true tout two point out or
see something completely different for the Liberals?

Speaker 2 (01:59):
No, he's completely differ First of all, mister Kearney has
been the Bank of Canada governor for both Canada and
the UK. He's enormously experienced. He knows a lot of
people in the business community, in the international community at
the United Nations. Mister Trudeau came in as a charismenic

(02:21):
son of a former prime minister, but he was only
a high school drama teacher. Mister Carney has Oxford University,
Harvard educated. This guy has a lot of really serious accomplishments,
so you know nobody and that and his accomplishments in
handling the global financial crisis in two thousand and eight
and Britain's briax Brexit was one of the reasons why

(02:45):
you're seeing a real surge in the polls from away
from the Conservative Party, which had been leading for a
long time, for over a year and a half, double
digit numbers to mister Karney. In fact, when you ask
Canadians who is the most capable of person to deal
with President Trump in his trade war, it's it's at

(03:05):
as you mean, ten to fifteen point spread between mister
Karney and Peter Polyev, who's the Conservative leader.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Everybody says it's a bioptober. You've got to hold the bout.
But they're going to go early. Is that fair or not?

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Oh? Yes, they By next week we'll be into an
election campaign for either April of twenty eighth or May fifth.
They're going to go right now for two reasons. One,
the momentum is in his way, and you know when
the mentum momentum is going your way, you have to
you take advantage of it. But also, the Conservatives are
cash rich and they've been running attack ads in the

(03:41):
last week or so on every medium they can find
to try to tear apart mister Kearney's reputation. But when
an election is dropped, every all the political parties are
on an equal footing because of spending spending limits. So
that's the second reason why they really want to get
into an election right away. Stop the Tory attack ads

(04:02):
against them.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
What a fascinating time. Robert will stand in touch. Appreciate
Appreciate it. Robert Fife, who's the Globe in Male, Ottawa
Bureau chief. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen
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