Last year, globally there were 60 countries that had elections and, “the staying power of right-wing populism” was a noted trend. And if you looked at the polls just two months ago, it looked like Canada would follow suite with the Conservatives having a significant lead under a very populist leader.

But that all changed when Justin Trudeau resigned and Mark Carney became Prime Minister. Last night Carney was elected for another 4 years. And although I really wanted to see a majority win, a win is a win, and the fact that the upset happened is victory enough. Maybe, just maybe this is a pendulum swing away from more right wing populist parties? Maybe we can see some more centrist, less polarized views shine through across the globe in the coming months and years.

But hopes aside, here are a couple things that I think all Canadians can look forward to with Mark Carney as Prime Minister… no matter who they voted for.

1. Diplomacy

Mark Carney put the President to our south on notice from day 1. When he replaced Trudeau, who Trump was calling governor of the 51st state, Carney immediately did three things: He strengthened economic ties with with Europe & Asia; He reminded the US president that he could sell American debt; And, he signed a defence contract deal with Australia (a deal that would have gone to the US). He did not go to see the US president right away. And the President’s response once they did speak:

“I just finished speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, of Canada. It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada,”

No 51st state rhetoric.

And here’s the simple truth about Carney versus Poilievre… Carney starts with diplomacy and Poilievre lacks it. When Trump said this yesterday, on our election day, “

“Good luck to the Great people of Canada. Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada
becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America. No more artificially drawn line from many years ago. Look how
beautiful this land mass would be. Free access with NO BORDER.
ALL POSITIVES WITH NO NEGATIVES. IT WAS MEANT TO BE! America can no longer subsidize Canada with the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year that we have been spending in the past. It
makes no sense unless Canada is a State!”

Poilievre responded publicly on Twitter with,

“President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box.

Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state.

Today Canadians can vote for change so we can strengthen our country, stand on our own two feet and stand up to America from a position of strength.”

This is not a show of power, it’s grandstanding. I would have been willing to bet real money that had Poilievre won last night, we would have seen ‘51st state’ and ‘Governor Poilievre’ rhetoric surface from the American President.

Carney won’t play the populist all-caps ‘NEVER’ kind of game, he will be firm, strategic, and straightforward. Last night he said,

“I have been warned, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. These are not these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, ever happen.”

And,

“We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons that we have to look out for ourselves. … When I sit down with President Trump, it will be to discuss the future economic and security relationship between two sovereign nations, and it will be with our full knowledge that we have many, many other options than the United States to build prosperity for all Canadians.”

Not empty, boisterous rhetoric, but a firm message that we don’t only have to rely on America, with the underlying threat that this will cost America.

2. Fiscal Conservatism

The simple fact is that with respect to finance, I’d consider Carney more right rather than left on the political spectrum. He actually would have made a good Conservative candidate, one I could have voted for unlike Poilievre. Now that doesn’t mean he won’t run a deficit, but in these trade war times, no country is coming out unscathed. However, I believe that Carney will lead us out of the next few years as a global powerhouse, and Poilievre has neither the experience, skill, or ability to plan any such success. We would have been bullied by the US under him, and that simply will not happen under Carney.

So hopefully Canadians can drop the lift/right wars that seem to consume politics these days. Hopefully we can stand ‘elbows up’ with one another, and let the political pendulum swing a bit to center. While things are going to get tough economically, we have far more to hope for prosperity as a unified country supporting our new Prime Minister.