Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney is refusing to say whether he is seeking a seat in the Commons, saying he is determined to advise Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on making Canada a key trading partner.
“What matters to Canadians, let’s be honest, is not a party or an individual. It’s what’s happening on the ground. It’s whether the country is moving in the same direction as their priorities,” the economist said at a press scrum in Nanaimo, B.C., after meeting with Liberal MPs.
Asked whether he thought he would make a good politician, Mr Carney laughed and said: “It’s not obvious.”
“I know economics well, I know trade well. I know the combination of policy and trade to achieve results for citizens,” he said.
The UN special envoy for climate finance stressed the importance, in his eyes, of decarbonising the economy.
“Being a low carbon emitter will be critical to our ability to create jobs, to sell our products in the United States, in Europe and around the world,” he believes. “We need to help our companies become more competitive.”
Mr. Carney is often seen as a potential successor to Justin Trudeau if he were to step down as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly made it clear that he has no intention of stepping down.
Mr. Trudeau said over the summer that he had been trying to recruit Mr. Carney for years to join the political battle.
On Monday, the Liberal Party announced that the economist would advise Mr. Trudeau on economic growth and productivity.