Carney attacked for wanting 'free ride,' 'hiding' from public amid latest campaign break
Liberal leader says he was speaking with NATO secretary general Saturday morning
Two federal party leaders took aim Saturday at Mark Carney, whom polls suggest is the front-runner in the April 28 election, for once again skipping the campaign trail.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet accused the Liberal leader of trying to capitalize on his early momentum by coasting through the opening three weeks of the campaign.
"I believe that Mr. Carney is trying to get a free ride," he said at an announcement in Trois-Rivières, Que., alleging the Liberals are trying to "hide him as much as possible."
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking in his own Ottawa riding of Carleton, also accused Carney of "hiding again."
On Thursday, Carney paused his campaign for the third time to tend to his prime ministerial duties in response to the trade-war turbulence.
He returned to Ottawa to convene a meeting Friday with his Canada-U.S. cabinet council.
Afterwards, he warned there were "initial signs of slowing in the global economy" and said he's directed officials to prepare for negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration next month.
Carney then left without taking questions from reporters.
WATCH | Blanchet says Liberals trying to hide Carney from scrutiny:
Spoke with NATO head
Though Carney isn't holding any public events Saturday, he took to X, formerly Twitter, to reveal he spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that morning.
He went on to write that "Canada's commitment to the alliance is ironclad" and that he would boost defence spending.
That same afternoon, the Liberals quoted Carney in a party news release about a new summer discount program for national parks and free youth access to national galleries and museums.
Prior to Carney addressing his whereabouts Saturday, Blanchet said the limiting of the Liberal leader's public appearances — combined with the short five-week campaign —means Carney is "as seldom seen as possible, saying as little as possible, and hiding as much as possible."
Also speaking before Carney made his statements, Poilievre said the Liberal leader had been "in hiding today and yesterday."
Carney is "trying to make Canadians forget," Poilievre added, that housing costs have soared and food bank lineups have gotten longer.
3rd campaign pause
Before this week, Carney had interrupted his campaign twice in order to respond to Trump's tariff threats.
His first interruption in late March was meant to plot Canada's response to the imposition of tariffs on automotive imports.
Carney later pivoted from the campaign trail ahead of widespread "retaliatory" tariffs Trump inflicted on dozens of countries but ultimately not Canada.
His third tariff-related campaign pause comes amid sliding stock markets but no material change to the existing tariffs hitting Canada.
On Friday, Blanchet argued Carney was overusing his mantle as prime minister by suspending his campaign more than necessary.
Blanchet was hinting at the caretaker convention, a principle in which a government in a pre-election period is directed to avoid making big decisions that cannot be easily overturned.
One constitutional expert says the amount of restraint in these circumstances is typically left to the prime minister's judgment.
"The opposition parties can be upset about it, but there is no referee, right?" said Philippe Lagassé, an associate professor of international affairs at Carleton University.
"It's ultimately up to the voters to decide whether or not they feel this person is stepping out of bounds."
In the case of Carney continuing some of his prime ministerial duties, Lagassé said he believes the Liberal leader is acting appropriately. The matter of U.S. tariffs is both urgent and in the public interest, he said, and Carney's decisions aren't binding.
It would be different if the opposing parties were disagreeing with the government's response to the tariffs, Lagassé said — but they aren't.
For example, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Friday he supports the retaliatory tariffs Canada imposed in response to Trump, though he wants Carney to also boost financial aid for people who lose their jobs because of the trade war.
Aside from his three campaign suspensions, Carney has taken other days off from making public announcements, like on the first Saturday of the campaign when he met with volunteers in his riding of Nepean.
Other leaders have opted to take breaks as well, including Singh, who made no announcement Saturday.
Blanchet may still take time off, he acknowledged, but he also said he doesn't need the rest.
"I sleep mostly on the bus," he said.
Poilievre has held daily media availabilities, but the party has been criticized for restricting access. At Conservative events, journalists are kept at a distance, often behind barriers.
Media is limited to asking four questions with no follow-ups, and party officials decide which reporters ask questions.
As of Thursday, Poilievre had answered around half as many questions during the campaign as Carney, according to Radio-Canada.
Policy announcements
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois each made policy announcements on Saturday.
Poilievre announced a range of supports for veterans, including streamlining disability benefits, ending the clawbacks on veterans' pensions if they take a private sector job and prioritizing veterans for public service jobs.
He also revealed he wouldn't expand access to medical assistance in dying beyond the existing parameters.
Blanchet demanded Quebec be compensated for Ottawa's upcoming carbon tax rebate since the April payout is being financed by taxpayers — rather than carbon tax revenues — as the levy has already been eliminated.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
