Poilievre digs at Carney's 'banker's haircut,' Liberal says his rival hasn't managed a crisis

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 6:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's criticisms of Mark Carney got personal on Tuesday, portion the Liberal person deed backmost astatine Poilievre's governmental career.

Poilievre's past swipes astatine his main governmental hostile see criticisms that Carney is nary antithetic than his predecessor Justin Trudeau and that the Liberal person co-chaired 2 concern funds that were registered successful Bermuda during his clip astatine Brookfield Asset Management.

During a quality league connected Tuesday, Poilievre again levied those criticisms but besides added immoderate idiosyncratic digs.

He said voters shouldn't deliberation Carney is immoderate antithetic from Trudeau "because helium has a banker's haircut and wears a brace of bluish socks."

Poilievre besides narrowed successful connected Carney's backstage assemblage experience, which the Liberal person has touted during the campaign.

"Mr. Carney is not a businessman. He is simply a governmental grifter," Poilievre said Tuesday successful effect to a question astir Carney's past concern dealings.

Speaking astatine a news league aboriginal successful the day, Carney took a fewer digs of his ain astatine Poilievre. The Liberal person mostly aimed astatine Poilievre's vocation arsenic an MP, and contrasted that to his acquisition moving arsenic the caput of the Bank of Canada with Stephen Harper's authorities during the 2008 fiscal crisis.

"Pierre Poilievre was not astatine immoderate of those tables, was not fixed immoderate of that work and … successful consequent years has not gained immoderate responsibilities successful managing crises," helium said. 

WATCH | Harper endorses Poilievre for premier minister: 

Poilievre was an MP successful Harper's authorities during the fiscal crisis. He was named to Harper's furniture successful 2013.

Carney's comments came successful effect to a question astir Harper endorsing Poilievre during a rally successful Edmonton connected Monday night.

"I americium the lone idiosyncratic who tin accidental that some of the men moving to beryllium premier curate erstwhile worked for me," helium told a ample assemblage of supporters.

Harper leaned into Poilievre's acquisition arsenic a person and implied that Carney had parachuted into the job.

"Political acquisition — elected, accountable governmental acquisition — and the capableness for maturation with that governmental experience, that is what Pierre has demonstrated for 2 decades and that is the single-most important diagnostic a premier curate needs," Harper said.

Carney says Smith comments meant to beryllium 'lighthearted'

The 36-day run is nearing its halfway point.

During a rally successful Victoria connected Sunday, Carney took a jab astatine Alberta Premier Danielle Smith portion talking astir however Canada tin respond to tariffs from the U.S.

"We're sending Doug Ford connected to Fox News, to amusement them we're not messing astir up here. And we're going to nonstop Danielle next, we're — good possibly we won't nonstop Danielle," helium said, with a grimace. "That was a atrocious idea."

When asked Tuesday if the remarks could lend to a consciousness of occidental alienation, Carney downplayed it arsenic a "lighthearted comment."

"I person a batch of respect for the premier, we've worked together," helium said, referencing a archetypal ministers' gathering successful March to make a nationalist commercialized strategy.

WATCH | 'I person a batch of respect for the premier,' Carney says of Danielle Smith: 

The Liberals person been starring the Conservatives successful astir polls since the predetermination run kicked off. CBC's Poll Tracker has the mean enactment for the Liberals astatine 44 per cent compared to the Conservatives averaging astatine astir 37 per cent.

Some polls are besides showing that Carney is starring Poilievre connected likeability. A caller Angus Reid survey recovered that 55 per cent of respondents had a favourable presumption of Carney, compared to 36 per cent for Poilievre. When asked, 50 per cent of respondents said Carney would beryllium their penchant for premier minister, compared to 28 per cent who said Poilievre would beryllium their choice. The survey had a 2 per cent borderline of error.

Two different main enactment leaders are besides mostly mounting their sights connected Carney in recent days.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet — who is trailing the Liberals successful the polls successful Quebec — said Monday that Carney "does not springiness a damn" astir the province.

"He volition ne'er accidental that helium doesn't similar us, but I don't consciousness the emotion … I don't consciousness involvement for the culture, I don't consciousness involvement for thing which is Quebec," helium said.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters Tuesday that radical are disquieted astir Poilievre but spared astir of his criticisms for Carney.

"If you're disquieted astir him and you're saying, 'I'm disquieted that Mark Carney is going to chopped the things that I attraction about. I'm disquieted that helium [was] the seat of a institution that engaged successful taxation avoidance, a taxation dodger, that I'm disquieted astir what that means,' [then] re-elect your New Democrat … nonstop much New Democrats to Ottawa," Singh said.