WARMINGTON: Carney may be a boring banker, but drama still follows Liberals

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HAMILTON – The main difference in attending a rally for a banker instead of one for a drama teacher is less theatrics.  

Or at least that’s how it was supposed to be. 

And it’s also how it began Thursday at an old Steeltown factory-turned-funky night spot called the Bridgeworks. Like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s event in Brampton the night before, this one was jammed with supporters. Like that one, there were lines around the block of people wanting to get in and it was very hard to park.  

But inside there were disrupters – ready to pounce and try to stall the event.  

And it seemed to work.

Every time Liberal Leader Mark Carney started to get on a roll by slagging U.S. President Donald Trump, someone would scream and start to heckle the former chair of Brookfield Asset Management. He was a trooper and tried to stay on script as security moved into the packed room and dragged people out. At least four times it happened.  

While this used to happen to former prime minister Justin Trudeau all the time, you can see it’s new to Carney who is used to hanging out with royalty, presidents, prime ministers and the wealthy and not the kind of people who both despise his set and resent them. Trudeau seemed to relish dealing with hecklers and would battle them without missing a beat.

Carney, who is getting a trial by fire on how to give daily speeches, seemed rattled by it all. His already understated delivery became slower and choppier.  

Of course, none of that really matters as much as what he said in his speech, but I thought it was also important to mention because of what he didn’t say after the event on the way to the Liberal campaign bus.

This all came about as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was posting on social media about Carney’s comments earlier in the week at a rally, where a heckler mentioned the “genocide” in Gaza. Carney’s response was, “I’m aware. That’s why we have an arms embargo.”

While the CBC reported that his campaign clarified that he meant to say he was “aware” of the situation in Gaza, Netanyahu went on X to demand a retraction from Carney. As of Thursday evening, he had not done that.  

I waited outside the venue for Carney to ask him if he would withdraw the statement, but he told the Toronto Sun he was not aware of what Netanyahu had posted. He looked genuinely surprised by the question, but it is surprising a staffer would not have told him what the Israeli PM said.  

Whatever their hope, it does not seem this issue is going away for Carney, who surely must know such ambiguity could put Jewish people and businesses, already facing increased antisemitism across Canada, in more peril. He should clarify his position before Canadians go to the ballot box on April 28.   

“The prime minister has a duty to inform Canadians on his government’s position in relation to its Israeli ally. His lack of clarity only benefits the radicals who have used his remarks as justification for the hatred and bigotry they spread,” said Richard Robertson, the director of research and advocacy at B’nai Brith Canada. “Canada is in crisis; record levels of antisemitism are being recorded on our streets. The Jewish community is counting on our nation’s leaders to clearly and unequivocally denounce the harmful rhetoric and misinformation that is fuelling antisemitism across the country.”  

While his speech touched on Trump and Poilievre in a critical manner, it is interesting that Carney did not address this troubling faux paus or him saying that he was unaware of the pro-Beijing Jiangsu Commerce Council of Canada group despite having his picture taken with members of their leadership, which was reported in The Globe and Mail.  

“If somebody happens to be in the room and takes a picture with me, that’s not a meeting,” Carney has said.  

At least he’s addressed it in the past. The comment suggesting that Canada put an arms embargo on Israel because of a “genocide” in Gaza, however, is the one he seems to be running from. Two of the four people removed from the speech seemed to be focused on the war in Gaza and the other two seemed to be backing up Trump. There was one attendee outside who was carrying a Trump flag.  

Inside, the 1,000 or so people who came seemed enthusiastic to see Carney speak and were thrilled that he’s leading in opinion polls. There were many fine Liberal folks inside who had gone through a year of depression about Trudeau’s low poll numbers and were excited that Carney has a chance to keep the Liberals in power.  

“I feel he is dynamic and I like the way he speaks,” said Heather Davies, who came with her husband Richard. “I feel confident he is going to take care of (Canadians), especially with what is going on with the United States.”  

Richard added that Carney “has been all over the world and has the depth” to help Canada out its current situation.  

In his appearance here, it’s clear that while Carney is not flashy, he is polite, intelligent and experienced and like Poilievre draws a pretty good crowd, which is something a banker may not be used to as he tries to keep his events low key and cerebral.

That said, even this dry banker ran into a lot of drama on this day. 

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