TORONTO — Mark Carney used a wide-ranging speech in Quebec City on Thursday to link Canada’s historical origins to his government’s priorities on national unity, security, affordability and economic reform.Speaking near the Plains of Abraham, Carney argued that Canada’s development followed a different path from the traditional model of conquest and assimilation. He said British authorities and French Canadians ultimately chose cooperation and partnership, a decision he described as foundational to the country’s identity.“Canada began to make the historic choice to favour adaptation over assimilation, partnership over domination, collaboration over division,” Carney said, describing that choice as imperfect but enduring..The prime minister emphasized the role of Francophone resilience in preserving language, culture and institutions after the fall of New France, while also acknowledging the dispossession of Indigenous peoples and the violation of treaties. He described Canada as built on the contributions of indigenous, French and British peoples, a framework he said later expanded to include multiculturalism and immigration.Carney tied this historical narrative to modern federal policies, portraying bilingualism, multiculturalism and reconciliation as extensions of the same tradition. He cited official bilingualism, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, multiculturalism legislation and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as examples of that evolution.The speech also outlined a broad policy agenda. Carney said his government is undertaking what he called the most significant strengthening of Canada’s military and security capabilities since the Second World War, alongside tighter criminal justice measures and increased border security resources. He framed these steps as necessary to protect sovereignty while maintaining an open and inclusive society..On the economy, Carney highlighted the removal of federal barriers to interprovincial trade, large-scale investments in infrastructure and industrial projects, and efforts to secure domestic capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence, critical minerals and advanced technologies. He said Canada must be “its own best customer” while diversifying international partnerships.Affordability featured prominently in the address. Carney pointed to the cancellation of the consumer carbon tax, income tax reductions, housing initiatives, lower transportation tolls and the expansion of federal benefits and social programs as evidence of a renewed focus on cost-of-living pressures.He also announced that an upcoming “AI for all” strategy will seek to ensure new technologies benefit Canadians broadly, while calling for reforms to education, skills training and social programs to manage technological change.Carney concluded by positioning Canada as both a “bastion” of security and a “beacon” internationally, arguing the country can demonstrate that diversity, liberal democracy and economic growth are compatible in an era of global division. He said Canada’s future, like its past, depends on deliberate choices to cooperate and build together.
