Prime Minister Mark Carney became combative when confronted with questions from reporters about potential conflicts of interest and his private investments.
Carney told the CBC’s Rosemary Barton to “look within herself” when questioned over alleged conflicts of interest rather than disclose what assets were placed into his blind trust.
After touring across the UK and France, meeting with King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron, Carney was grilled by reporters over not disclosing his potential conflicts of interest.
Carney avoided a question from one reporter who asked him to disclose what assets of his went into his blind trust.
“Look…I follow the rules of the Ethics Commissioner. I’m following them well in advance of any of the requirements, as you know…these requirements come into effect in months. We’re talking days after I became prime minister,” Carney said. “So I’m complying with the rules of the Ethics Commissioner, going through the processes and all those things that are necessary.”
He attempted to shift the media’s attention toward Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Carney equated the situation to the opposition leader refusing to be sworn to secrecy to gain security clearance to read classified documents on foreign interference – a move Poilievre has claimed was done to let Canadians judge for themselves on the contents of the NSICOP report.
The reporter noted that the rules say Carney only has to disclose his assets within 120 days of taking office, allowing him to potentially go through an entire election without Canadians being aware of his conflicts of interest.
Before she could finish, Carney interrupted, saying: “What possible conflict would (I) have?”
“I’m complying with the rules,” he said. “I’m complying with the rules in advance.”
Barton then chimed in, asking him to clarify that he has absolutely no conflicts of interest.
Carney’s voice cracked, stating, “yes.”
“Even though you spent most of your life in the private sector, there are no possible conflicts of interest in your assets?” Barton said. “That’s very difficult to believe.”
Rather than address the question, Carney deflected the accusation onto Barton, noting that she was accused of having a conflict of interest when the CBC sued the Conservative party in 2019 on her behalf.
“Look inside yourself. Rosemary. I mean, you start from a prior of conflict and ill will,” Carney said. “I have served in the private sector. I have stood up for Canada. I have left my roles in the private sector at a time of crisis for our country. I’m complying with all the rules.”
He then accused the journalist’s “line of questioning” of trying to invent new rules, restating that he’s complying with the rules that are set out by Parliament and the ethics commissioner, and vowed to continue to comply with those rules.
During the press conference, Carney also doubled down on the need for an industrial carbon tax saying in order to diversify Canada’s markets, it will need a carbon tax.
“We have to be able to connect the dots, something that the opposition has proven themselves totally incapable of doing so,” Carney said. “On the one hand, we have our largest trading partner, as we’ve been discussing, attacking us, putting tariffs on us. On the other hand, we have the opportunity to diversify trade.”
He argued that one of the requirements to diversify trade with the European Union, the United Kingdom and “emerging Asia” is to have “a form of price on Carbon.”
“We are able to think one step ahead. We’re able to go out and see the world. We’re able to help Canadian companies prepare,” he said. “The Americans are going to start caring about this again. They have elections every four years. They cared a great deal about this three months ago now, and all of a sudden, they don’t care about it. They’re going to care about it again.”
Poilievre shot back on X.
“Nonsense—taxing our energy will simply punish our businesses and ship jobs abroad,” he said. “Just like when Carney supported carbon taxes in Canada while his company invested in American, Australian and Chinese coal.”
Carney also noted that his meeting with European leaders was partly to create new trade corridors with the nations. As Europe pledges to increase its defence capabilities, Carney said Canada should supply them with those defence systems.
He also signalled that he was ready to renegotiate trade and defence relationships with the U.S. administration whenever it was.
