Former central banker Mark Carney, tasked with leading fundraising efforts for Canada’s federal Liberal Party, touted his leadership credentials as an ideas economist in a recent letter to donors.Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
The Liberal Party has turned to former central banker Mark Carney to raise funds for the next election campaign, just weeks after he was tapped by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to chair a Liberal task force on economic growth.
The outreach to Mr. Carney to ring the bell for party donations comes as a new poll by Nanos Research shows the Liberals and New Democrats tied in popularity, each with 22-per-cent support, while Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives lead by double-digits at 42 per cent.
“In the wake of the end of the Liberal-NDP parliamentary arrangement, the New Democrats are now tied with the Liberals for the first time since August, 2015,” pollster and chief data scientist Nik Nanos said in an interview Monday. “Unless the trend line changes, the Liberals may be on the verge of a political death spiral.”
With a 20-point Conservative advantage and progressive voters evenly split between the Liberals and the NDP, Mr. Nanos said the “political environment is a dream scenario for Pierre Poilievre.”
Veteran Liberal strategist Scott Reid said despite the low poll numbers for the Liberals, he doesn’t believe Mr. Trudeau will face a party uprising.
“Even this result I don’t believe will lead to any kind of concerted effort on behalf of the party and caucus to push out the Prime Minister,” Mr. Reid said. “As tough as it may look, I still think he will be able to make a decision on his own terms.”
The Nanos poll also showed that Mr. Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh are almost in a dead heat for preferred prime minster at 19.4 and 18.5 per cent, respectively, while Mr. Poilievre is the preferred choice of 35.1 per cent of Canadians. The four-week rolling survey of 1,045 randomly interviewed Canadians on land and cellphones ended on Sept. 27. It is accurate within 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Mr. Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, is being asked to beat the fundraising drums for the Liberal Party, which has placed a distant second in fundraising efforts by the Conservatives.
The Conservatives raised nearly $35.3-million in 2023, according to reports filed with Elections Canada. The Liberals brought in $15.6-million in the same time period, while the NDP raised $6.9-million and the Bloc Québécois took in $1.8-million last year.
“I am ready to help our country grow and tackle challenges head-on – with solutions, not slogans, and with action, not indifference,” Mr. Carney wrote in a fundraising letter to Liberal donors. “The economic stakes are enormous, but our opponents are in denial. They are seeking to divide Canadians just when we must come together.”
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Mr. Carney has not ruled out running for the Liberal Leadership should Mr. Trudeau step down. The Globe has reported that he is among a number of senior Liberals who have told the Prime Minister that it’s unlikely he can win the next election.
In the fundraising letter, Mr. Carney touts his leadership credentials as an ideas economist who can revive the sluggish economy.
“I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas in these weeks and months ahead,” he said. “As we face a more divided and dangerous world, it’s a decisive time for Canada’s economy. With a winning growth plan, I know that we can build the strongest economy in the G7, and an even better future for all.”
Mr. Nanos said the recruitment of Mr. Carney shows how desperate the Liberals are in trying to discover an economic message that can resonate with Canadians.
‘Whether it is Carney’s choice or not, he is going to be political hostage to the fortunes of the Liberal Party so that is a pretty significant risk,” he said. “If you are Justin Trudeau and the Liberals there is no real downside to have Carney. There is a massive downside for Carney if he decides to connect his political fortunes and reputation to a party led by somebody else who could very well go down in defeat.”
But Mr. Reid said Mr. Carney is putting on the team sweater and “probably a lot of Liberals will welcome Mark Carney putting his name and resources behind a re-election effort.”