OTTAWA—It’s time for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first performance review.

Throughout the summer, Carney has moved at a steady clip to reorient Canada towards an economy that’s less reliant on the United States. Given President Donald Trump’s mercurial, capricious, and, at times, TACO behaviour (shorthand for Trump Always Chickens Out, derived from Wall Street bros, meaning he always flip-flops on his threats of economic retaliation), the promise of “elbows up” is still in the air. Carney is betting that his recent policies, as well as a tax cut, will be a panacea to all social ills, impending economic decline, and rising price levels. Hot tip: it will not, at least not adequately.

Leadership: B

Carney has shown that his leadership of the Liberals was the main attribute he had over Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. However, it has made Canada an international lighthouse, antithetical to American economic aggression.

Poilievre, on the other hand, is incapable of rising to the moment and pivoting to meet changing political environments. He is inept at meeting Carney at the policy level, which has proved that the only value he can add to the legislative process is constant whining.

Community outreach: D

While Carney restored Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) to its original command as a full ministry, after dropping it altogether in his interim cabinet, the department may be facing some of the biggest cuts by proportion. Through GC InfoBase, it is estimated that spending on WAGE will decrease by at least 76 per cent by 2027-28. WAGE is also the ministry responsible for LGBTQ programming support. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives calculated that gender identity funding, “effectively falls to zero by 2027-28 (at $1.9-million).”

It is egregiously insulting that the Carney government can introduce such carnage to major blocs that voted for it. The Conversation concludes that “women supported the Liberal Party by a 25-point margin.” Women were instrumental in the Carney government’s rise to power, despite the prime minister’s politically underdeveloped stature.

Rise of fascism and white supremacy: D-

He’s lucky I didn’t give him an F. Non-white people, people with disabilities, and Islamophobia don’t exist to this government. I have not heard one thing of real substance about breaking down systemic barriers for the more equitable economic advancement the prime minister is pursuing. Instead, Carney is laying the foundation for the rise in fascism and white supremacy.

Case in point, if you’ve ever read Project 2025—concocted and written by American right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation—you know that this is a roadmap to Trump’s full intentions to starve the U.S. government, transfer resources from the public sector to the private one, and subjugate women and marginalized communities; it is the blueprint for a white, Christian country where the power is concentrated in the hands of the few. In the political environment of rising Christo-fascism, Carney’s team invited the architect of this document, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts, to speak to cabinet earlier this month. Ostensibly, the meeting was to get advice on Trump’s playbook when they could’ve just read Trump’s playbook. Although eventually cancelled, it was only done so—on Roberts’ side—after massive pushback. I can only imagine how marginalized staffers must feel.

After an impassioned speech by Lethbridge, Alta., Conservative MP Rachael Thomas on Sept. 15 that excused notorious right-wing bigot Charlie Kirk’s white supremacy under the guise of support for freedom of speech, “ideas that we disagree with,” and “views that may be offensive,” Carney also rose in the House of Commons to clap for Kirk. The PM had previously released a tweet condemning Kirk’s death, contextualizing it as his murder being retaliation for his political views. Hate is not a political view, and I don’t know why I have to say this.

Indigenous sovereignty: D-

I can see that reconciliation is dead. For Carney to realize his nation-building, militaristic vision, he must steamroll over Indigenous rights. There is no other way. Even though Carney pledges to make First Nations partners in prosperity, the reality is they’ve never been full partners or received equitable power to Canada’s settler colonialism. I don’t see why Carney would start now.

Summer meetings with various Indigenous representatives have gone to hell with some leaving governmental meetings in disgust. The Guardian reported in July: “First Nations leaders have walked out of a meeting with Mark Carney” at his event to promote the Building Canada Act, or Bill C-5. In the summer, I wrote in this paper: “Bill C-5 references respecting [the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], but only spells out a need to ‘consult,’ not ‘free, prior, and informed consent,’ which is a mechanism intended for Indigenous nations to have the power to shape decisions that affect their rights and livelihoods.”

First Nations don’t have veto power on these projects that will be constructed on their land, with the toxic waste and run-off externalities paid for by their communities. I also haven’t heard any regulations proposed that would mitigate this almost-certain event. Let’s be real, even if First Nations do object, the government will build anyway, and send the police to physically quell any opposition.

Erica Ifill is a co-host of the Bad+Bitchy podcast.

The Hill Times

 

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