Most Canadians don’t recognize Mark Carney, the Liberal party favourite to replace Trudeau
Share:
‘Rock star central banker’ Carney, expert on economic risks of climate change, unknown by 76% of voters. Mark Carney, the “rock star central banker” who navigated a string of financial crises and became a leading global voice on the economic risks of climate change, has rapidly emerged as a favourite in the race to lead Canada’s Liberal party.
But the steepest challenge for Carney, a fixture at international summits and company boardrooms, may be getting ordinary Canadian voters – even those within his own party – to recognize him. Carney, who served as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, will announce his candidacy to replace Justin Trudeau, at an event in Edmonton late on Thursday. He is the first serious contender to enter the race, the winner of which will replace the outgoing prime minister as the Liberal party leader and, perhaps briefly, the next prime minister of Canada.
Despite his high international profile, Carney – like his rivals in the leadership contest – has little name recognition within Canada. Polling this month by Abacus Data found that when shown a picture of Carney, 76% of Canadians could not identify him. Chrystia Freeland, the former finance minister, who is seen as Carney’s main competitor, fared much better: 51% recognized her when shown a photo.
