Former central banker Mark Carney is set to become Canada’s next prime minister after winning the Liberal Party leadership race in a landslide. Carney, 59, was born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, on March 16, 1965, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He has an extensive background in finance but no prior political experience.
He served as governor of the Bank of Canada (2008-2013) and later became the first non-British governor of the Bank of England (2013-2020), playing a key role in stabilizing economies during financial crises. In 2020, he took on the role of the United Nations’ special envoy for climate action and finance.
Before his central banking career, Carney worked for Goldman Sachs for 13 years in London, Tokyo, New York, and Toronto. He was appointed deputy governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003.
Mark Carney’s education and personal life
Carney earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University in 1988, followed by master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Oxford University. During his time at Harvard, he played ice hockey as a backup goalie.
He holds Canadian, UK and Irish citizenship but has indicated plans to hold only Canadian citizenship in the future—a move seen as politically strategic.
Carney is married to Diana Carney, who was born in the UK, and they have four daughters.
Mark Carney’s rise in politics
Despite his initial outsider status, Carney’s prospects of maintaining power beyond a brief transition period are improving. In January, a Nanos poll showed the Liberals trailing the Conservatives 20% to 47% under opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. However, the latest polling indicates a much closer race, with the Liberals at 34% and the Conservatives at 37%.
With Carney at the helm, the Liberals are looking to regain ground ahead of an expected general election.
Carney targets Trump
“There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy,” Carney said of Trump. “He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.”
“This won’t be business as usual,” Carney said. “We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible.”
Carney compared Donald Trump to ’Voldemort’
Mark Carney previously sparked headlines by likening US President Donald Trump to “Voldemort,” the infamous antagonist from the Harry Potter series. Carney’s remarks came in response to Trump’s repeated suggestions about making Canada the 51st US state.
Speaking at an event, Carney dismissed the idea as “ridiculous” and “insulting,” emphasising the seriousness of the rhetoric. He stated, “When you consider what’s at stake in these absurd and offensive remarks from the president—what we could become—I see this as the Voldemort of comments.”