Expect Mark Carney to lead a 'more right-leaning government,' says MUN political scientist

Elizabeth Whitten · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 10:17 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 10

Mark Carney won the national Liberal enactment contention successful a landslide triumph connected Sunday, and a Memorial University governmental idiosyncratic believes determination could beryllium a shakeup arsenic the enactment changes course.

"I deliberation we should expect a somewhat much right-leaning authorities than what we had nether Trudeau," Kelly Blidook told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show connected Monday.

"I deliberation his goal, arsenic helium said, is that helium wants to benignant of walk less. He still wants to absorption connected things similar housing. He inactive wants to absorption connected societal programs. So to me, he's saying a batch of the close things."

Carney is an economist, the former politician of the Bank of Canada and erstwhile politician of the Bank of England. He won the enactment bid with 85.9 per cent of the vote, beating retired runner-up erstwhile concern curate Chrystia Freeland and will soon beryllium named Canada's 24th premier minister.

Once Carney is sworn in, his furniture volition travel adjacent behind. Blidook says determination apt won't beryllium large changes there.

"We besides don't truly cognize precisely however agelong it'll last, but I would accidental that truly what we're doing present is … waiting for an predetermination to beryllium called," helium said, adding helium believes an predetermination volition beryllium called by the extremity of the month.

In the meantime, a Carney-led authorities volition beryllium kept connected its toes successful dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump and the uncertainty of his tariff threats.

"But barring those sorts of things, it should beryllium a comparatively straightforward and comparatively speedy process to spot Carney sworn in," said Blidook.

And portion he's present the person of the Liberal Party of Canada, Carney inactive needs to triumph a spot arsenic an elected official. 

Blidook says helium doesn't spot that being a complicating substance successful the process.

"The main crushed being I don't deliberation Parliament is going to beryllium again earlier we person an election," helium said.

The national conservatives person held a pb successful the polls for months, but Blidook says Carney is well-positioned to bring successful much centrist and right-leaning voters who aren't comfy voting for Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives. He besides warned that Carney is apt going to disappoint radical successful time.

"The radiance is going to travel off. There's going to beryllium a batch of things that he's going to larn and we're going to learn. But arsenic of close now, helium appears to person taken the enactment arsenic decisively arsenic helium truly perchance could have," helium said.

In the past respective weeks, the spread successful national polls betwixt the Conservatives and Liberals has been tightening.

"Things look truly bully for the Liberals. And we wouldn't person been saying that astir apt adjacent six, 8 weeks ago," said Blidook.

Trump factor

Trump's predetermination triumph successful November mightiness person had a cooling effect connected Canadian's involvement successful voting for the Poilievre-led Conservatives, said Blidook.

Since taking office, Trump has aggressively focused connected Canada, from punishing tariffs connected Canadian goods, to rhetoric astir annexing Canada and turning it into the 51st state.

"This would origin immoderate grade of bump for the Liberals due to the fact that the Conservatives look closest to that [Republican] party," Blidook said.

"The information that Poilievre can adjacent beryllium somewhat attached to those things, I think, creates a batch of concern."

Blidook says it didn't help when billionaire Elon Musk, who is successful Trump's interior circle, publicly said helium wants Poilievre to beryllium Canada's adjacent premier minister.

He said Poilievre has precocious attempted to rebrand, but it's a difficult determination to propulsion disconnected when key issues person changed truthful much.

"To beryllium fair, Pierre Poilievre is not hugely likable. I mean, his enactment was doing well. But if you benignant of look astatine underneath the polls, there's a spot much of a interest astir him arsenic a person."

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