John Ivison: Carney’s luck is so good, even his scandals work in his favour

COQUITLAM, B.C. – Mark Carney has led a charmed life since entering politics. Even the latest mini-scandal that broke on Thursday works in his favour, given it concerns a subject he is desperate to talk about. Radio-Canada reported that in Carney’s call with Donald Trump on March 28, the president brought up the issue of Canada becoming the 51st state of the United States. At the time, Carney said Trump had respected Canada sovereignty and had parked his expansionist language. Carney admitted on Thursday that Trump did raise the 51st state issue . “I said he did,” he said — which he didn’t. “I was clear with everyone.” The issue of whether the Liberal leader misled people speaks to his character, and whether he is prone to elide certain, inconvenient facts. But more pertinent to the vote on Monday, he was able to quickly turn the situation to his advantage. Carney was speaking at the AMPCO auto manufacturing plant in the B.C. riding of Port Moody—Coquitlam. He referred to the comments made by Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday, when the president said he does not want Canada to play any part in the North American auto industry. “I will be equally clear. This is Canada and we decide what happens here,” Carney said. The Conservative campaign must have felt like taking to the window ledges when the feed came out of the White House Wednesday of Trump musing again about Canada becoming the 51st state . If Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre fell into a bucket of lollipops, he’d come out sucking his thumb, such is his luck at the moment. When pressed by reporters in Coquitlam, Carney said Trump “has these things in his mind — it’s not new”. But he said the more important question is: what’s going to be done? “This has to be a serious discussion between sovereign nations. That’s what he and I agreed. It’s not a photo op, it’s not a visit to Mar-a-Lago.” He has repeatedly contrasted his resumé with Poilievre’s, when it comes to international crises. “A crisis is a time for experience, not experiments,” he said at the rally in Cloverdale, B.C. on Wednesday evening. Any conversation that ends with Carney reciting his mantra: “The president wants to break us so he can own us,” is a good day for the Liberals, regardless of the preamble. It underscores the unusual nature of this general election. Anyone who has worked on previous tilts usually resorts to the cliché that “campaigns matter.” It is a cliché for a reason: they usually do. But this one has not — at least, not so far. Carney became Liberal leader on March 9. It was after that victory that the polls flipped, and the Conservative party’s dominance of public opinion ended. There have been 153 polls since then and the Conservatives have only been ahead in seven (three from the same pollster). The gap between the two leading parties has barely shifted during the April campaign, despite all the mud that has been slung. The lead has remained constant throughout the campaign, regardless of debates, phantom numbers in the platform and the leader forgetting key facts, like the president disrespecting Canadian sovereignty on their call. It is all the more unusual since, though the Liberal leader exudes confidence and has a plausible manner, there is no Carney-mania. At rallies in Laval and the lower mainland of B.C. this week there was a tangible enthusiasm gap. The leader’s speeches undulate and meander, rarely reaching the crescendo the crowd is desperately awaiting. He is hesitant in French and halting in English, apparently still learning to use the teleprompter. None of this has mattered to this point. A plurality of Canadians decided in mid-March that Trump’s musings about taking over Canada were so alarming they required an experienced leader with a plan to fight back, and that all other concerns were subsidiary. Into this breach, with providential timing, stepped Carney. He would probably argue that his good fortune is the consequence of opportunity meeting preparation — and there is some truth to this. He didn’t just start saying: “Build, baby, build” six weeks ago. But his timing has been uncanny, Wrap all of that in a parable combining hockey and Canadian exceptionalism — “Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves” — and you have a powerful narrative to peddle to voters. With just four days until polling day, it may be enough, no matter how clumsily it is delivered. National Post jivison@criffel.ca

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