Jamil Jivani: Does Mark Carney want to lead the U.S. Democratic Party?

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The prime minister cares more about applause from the American left than getting a deal for CanadiansLast updated 13 hours ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Prime Minister Mark Carney gestures while answering a question during the final news conference concluding the First Ministers meeting in Charlottetown, PEI Thursday July 23, 2026. TIM KROCHAK PHOTOIt sure looks like Mark Carney is auditioning to be the next leader of the U.S. Democratic Party.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAs a Canadian Member of Parliament who represents working families impacted by U.S. tariffs, I want to know why Carney is more interested in playing American politics than being the prime minister of Canada.The latest announced increase in U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods is expected to kick in later this summer, following months of deterioration in Canada-U.S. relations. Carney has contributed to this deterioration by dragging Canada into the middle of American partisanship, instead of building the economic and security relationship that he promised Canadian voters in last year’s election.Just days before the most recent tariff announcement, Carney made the inexplicable decision of hiring a Democrat operative (who previously worked with Hillary Clinton and Michael Bloomberg) to lead the prime minister’s office as chief operating officer.The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture.By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Right? will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againWeeks prior, Carney involved himself in the upcoming Democratic primaries by hosting meetings with prospective contenders like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg. Politico reported these meetings under the headline, “The 2028 Dems’ shadow Mark Carney primary.”Canadians should naturally wonder, how do any of these decisions help our country? Carney promised he would work with the U.S. president for the sake of protecting hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs and employers, including good union jobs. But he has instead chosen a partisan path that will only undermine efforts to rebuild Canada-U.S. relations while Republicans are in the White House. Carney is needlessly politicizing one of the most important issues facing Canadian families today.Other world leaders have exemplified the kind of strategic decision-making that Canadians deserve from our government. Mexico, Japan, and India, for example, have leaders who have found ways to work with the White House, regardless of which party is in power.Carney has proven to be less like those world leaders and more like his predecessor Justin Trudeau. In 2022, the Wall Street Journal published the headline “Justin Trudeau runs for Congress,” highlighting the ways Trudeau relied on American partisanship to mobilize Liberal party supporters in Canada. Carney’s approach looks to be the same as Trudeau’s, despite his promises to be a serious leader.Carney’s foray in American partisanship didn’t begin with his most recent PMO hire or meetings with Shapiro and Buttigieg.Last fall, he sabotaged his own (very real) progress on a trade deal with the U.S. by failing to stop his political ally Ontario Premier Doug Ford from running attack ads against Trump during the World Series, which Carney had seen beforehand. Those ads aired in American markets at the cost of millions to Ontario taxpayers.Carney’s famous speech at Davos in January 2026 was also aimed at antagonizing the Trump administration, to the resounding approval of Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsom. In Davos, Carney declared a new world order shortly after signing a trade deal with America’s biggest geopolitical rival, China. The trade deal with China invites the communist regime in Beijing to expand its influence in North America by selling heavily-subsidized Chinese electric vehicles in Canada. Not only does cozying up to Beijing hurt Canadian workers, but it has also led to additional friction with our largest trading partner.Canadians who oppose Trump, or support Carney, or both, might respond to these examples by saying “Trump started it.” It’s true that Trump initiated this trade dispute by ushering in a series of policies aimed at changing the global economy. But Carney knew that when he signed up for the job of prime minister. When asking for Canadians to elect him, Carney promised he could deal with the situation. At no point did he say that he would actively make it worse, or that he would use the prime minister’s office to advance the interests of the Democratic Party over Canadian workers.Canada needs leadership that will do what’s necessary, not what’s fashionable. That means treating Canadian families as a priority, not chasing international applause or globalist approval. We need a change from the same old politics in Ottawa that has lowered our quality of life for over a decade.If Carney wants to be the leader of the Democratic Party, he should move there, and add a U.S. passport to his collection. Canadians deserve a prime minister who will put Canada first.Jamil Jivani is the member of Parliament for Bowmanville—Oshawa North. 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