Prime Minister Mark Carney while campaigning in his riding of Nepean, Ottawa on Saturday morning urged the “diverse” voters to “help [him] get elected” so he can stand up for Canada.
“Who's ready to stand up for Canada? Who's ready to stand up for me, help me get elected?” Carney asked the room of about 30 people including staffers and media.
“I can’t do anything for Canada if I don’t get elected [in Nepean].”
Carney told supporters this spring snap election, called March 23 with an April 28 vote, is the “most important election of our lifetime.”
“It's critical in redefining our relationship with the United States, it’s critical in redefining the economy on our terms,” he said.
“I can think of no better place to build that economy out than in Nepean — we have the diversity of our country here, all the identities.”
Carney said Nepean is “one of the best-educated ridings in our country, and it’s also one of the youngest.”
“So we have everything that we need to deliver for Canada.”
The Liberal leader, who grew up in Edmonton and lives in Toronto, then told a story of visiting a friend in Nepean 40 years ago, who he is still friends with today, and drew the conclusion that, through that history, he “knows Nepean well.”
Carney outside Rideau Hall after meeting with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to ask for a spring election was asked about his decision to run the Ottawa riding.
Nepean was the riding of Chandra Arya, longtime Liberal MP and Carney’s opponent in the March 9 leadership before he was ousted by the party. The Liberal party to date has not given a reason.
“From my perspective, I’ve been a resident of Ottawa for almost twenty years, with the exception, of course, when I was honestly a resident of London, when I was the governor of the Bank of England,” Carney told reporters.
Carney served seven years in his role at the Bank of England. In 2020, he was appointed UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and at the same time, became former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s economic adviser.
“I know Nepean well. I was best man to Peter Chiarelli who grew up in Nepean, so from Barrhaven to Bells Corners and in between, it’s an area I know well,” Carney said in defence of choosing Nepean as his riding and replacing Arya.
In the 2021 election, Arya won Nepean with 46% of the vote.
“In many respects, [Nepean] is representative of many of the aspects of this country,” said Carney.
“It’s very diverse. It has both the opportunities and the challenges that we face as a country and those are the challenges I’m looking to address.”
Carney insisted he had nothing to do with the decision to revoke Arya’s Leadership nomination.
“The green light committee decides who runs in the ridings. I’m not a member of that committee,” said Carney.
Conservative Barbara Bal is running against Carney for the Nepean seat. Nepean borders on Tory leader Pierre Poilievre's Carleton riding.
