Mark Carney sidestepped questions about his potential Liberal leadership run during an appearance on The Daily Show on Monday night, where he talked about topics ranging from President-elect Donald Trump to the carbon tax.
The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor made the audience laugh during his 20-minute interview with host Jon Stewart, particularly when discussing Trump's suggestion that Canada become the fifty-first state.
"We can be friends with benefits," said Carney, dismissing the idea of statehood and comparing U.S.-Canada relations to a dating couple working through difficulties.
On the economic front, Carney warned that Canada must prepare for potential trade disputes and use the experience from Trump's first presidency.
Addressing his environmental policies, Carney emphasized the need to focus on oil industry emissions rather than quickly changing everyday Canadians lifestyles.
Carney's comments on carbon pricing come as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre attempts to paint him as a key architect of Liberal carbon policy, calling him "carbon tax Carney."
"For Canada, what we need to do is make sure that we're addressing these issues, doing our bit," said Carney.
"But we need to do it in a way that Canadians today are not paying the price."
Carney launched the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) at the 2021 COP climate summit in Glasgow.
Members pledged to redirect financing toward projects supporting net-zero emissions by 2050 and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.
However, major banks are dropping out of Carney's net-zero banking organization, raising questions about how effective Carney could be as the Liberal leader and prime minister.
Carney described himself as an "outsider" in Canadian politics and did not answer Stewart's questions about running for the Liberal leadership.
Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland plans to announce her leadership bid in the next few days.
The Liberal Party will select its new leader on March 9.
Ontario MP Chandra Arya and former Montreal MP Frank Baylis have entered the race.
