Former central banker Mark Carney picked up a handful of endorsements on Tuesday, including from the government’s most vocal climate champion, as the Liberal leadership race whizzes ahead on a tight timeline.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said he will back Carney during the March 9 vote.
“He has the experience, he has the background, he’s navigated crisis when he was at the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England,” he said on Tuesday, day two of a cabinet retreat in western Quebec.
“I know he’s the right person to help bring us into the next phase of our work to support Canadians, to build a strong economy and to fight climate change.”
Guilbeault said his support comes after working with Carney on issues including “green energy transition, fighting climate change and the role of the financial sector in fighting climate change.”
Carney has been a longtime supporter of carbon pricing to combat climate change, although he appears to have cooled on the Liberal government’s policy.
Asked by reporters at his launch last week if he supports the Liberal government’s current carbon tax, Carney said he’s open to alternative methods to drive down emissions.
“We need to replace it with something else, in my opinion,” he said in French.
He added in English if the carbon price is going to go, it has to be replaced “with something that is at least, if not more, effective.”
“Because perception may be that it takes out more than the rebate provides, but reality is different,” he said. “And Canadians will miss that money, so you need a comprehensive approach. You need a comprehensive plan.”
Guilbeault open to replacing carbon tax, calls shift ‘difficult’
In a remarkable shift signalling the dying days of the consumer carbon tax, Guilbeault suggested he’s open to replacing the federal scheme if candidates can propose new measures to help Canada achieve its climate targets.
“I continue to believe the consumer price on pollution is one of the best tools we have to fight climate change. It’s not the only one,” he said Tuesday from the sidelines of the cabinet retreat at the Château Montebello.
“I will continue to work with Mr. Carney to ensure that if we don’t go ahead with the consumer carbon price, that we have something else in place that will both help Canadians with affordability but that will also help us to achieve our 2030 targets.”
Usually a fierce defender of the carbon tax, Guilbeault told reporters his latest comments have been “difficult” to make.
He suggested the unpopularity of the consumer price on pollution is due to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who he said “manipulated Canadians on this issue.”
While Carney’s full climate change platform hasn’t been released, the Conservatives are aiming to paint him as a Liberal insider who still supports a carbon tax and will enact expensive policies. In a statement Tuesday, the party suggested Guilbeault’s endorsement means the carbon tax will remain if Carney is elected leader.
Flurry of endorsements rolling in
Guilbeault joins Minister of Indigenous Services of Canada Patty Hajdu and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree, who also pledged support for Carney Tuesday.
He picked up a key Quebec endorsement over the weekend, when Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly backed him as leader.
Freeland also has cabinet ministers lining up to support her.
Justice Minister Arif Virani and Health Minister Mark Holland stood behind her during her official campaign kickoff on Sunday and Minister of Citizens’ Services of Canada Terry Beech is also supporting her.
She’s also picked up support from nearly two dozen members of caucus.
MPs Lisa Hepfner and Pam Damoff say they support former House leader Karina Gould.
Ontario MP Chandra Arya, Nova Scotia MP Jaime Battiste and former Liberal MP Frank Baylis have also put their names forward.
The Liberal Party is trying to hold a leadership race in a tight time frame after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier this month he’s stepping down.
Candidates have less than a week to sign up new members. Registered Liberals will vote in early March across 343 ridings, with each riding weighted at 100 points.
