James Albers is a Calgary-based management consultant specializing in leadership developmentThere is an old Turkish proverb that says, “When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” That would be an apt description of our previous Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, whose foreign visits often featured more wardrobe changes than substantive diplomacy. With every trip came a costume, and with every costume, a circus.But we were told those days were over. The curtain had fallen. The ring was cleared. A new sheriff was in town, and it was time to return to the serious business of government. Or was it?Have we truly turned the page — or merely swapped one clown for another? During the election, the Conservative warning was simple: Carney is Trudeau in a suit. Surely that was just campaign rhetoric. Surely this new leader would bring the dignity and gravitas befitting the House of Commons. Surely..But after this past week, I suspect the circus has not only stayed — it’s upgraded to a three-ring spectacle.I watched as our new prime minister, in full stagecraft, drew a fine leather folder, and with an elegant flourish, signed into existence a 'massive' middle-class tax cut. A grand production, no doubt. But do ignore the minor detail that this was never debated in the House of Commons — remember that building? It's been dormant so long it may as well be a museum exhibit.What struck me was the nagging sense I had seen this kind of performance before. And then it clicked — the Oval Office. Executive Orders. Grand gestures. Photogenic moments. Theatrical governance. No, Mr. Carney doesn’t dress in Indian regalia — he’s opted instead to dress as a U.S. President..They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If so, Mr. Carney must be deeply enamoured with President Trump’s pageantry.This is the second such performance. First, he declared the dreaded carbon tax reduced to zero. He didn’t eliminate it — only Parliament can do that. But that didn’t stop the press releases and triumphant tweets. And now, the tax cut. Again, without debate. Again, without process.What we are witnessing is not leadership — it is mimicry. And it’s not cute — it’s dangerous.Mr. Trudeau had a troubling disregard for the democratic mechanisms of our Westminster system. Mr. Carney appears to be following in those very footsteps. Why be burdened by democracy when you are a man of global pedigree and elite circles? Why entrust the fate of a nation to its people, when the experts already know best?And thank heavens we have Mr. Carney to guide us. Just ask his ever-obliging chorus in the mainstream media. Yet for all his righteousness — yes, righteousness —his worldview remains unfettered by practical reality. You cannot print money as a way to prosperity. You cannot govern by photo-op. You cannot discard centuries of parliamentary protocol in exchange for personal pageantry.But that is precisely the act we are watching..No, the circus hasn’t left town. It has doubled down. The former clown played the fool; this one plays the statesman. And in many ways, the latter is more dangerous — for he believes the role is real.Add to this the unsettling fact that Canada when it finally gets around to it, will have been operating without a properly vetted and passed budget for over a year. In fact, Parliament is expected to meet just long enough to dot the i’s, cross the t’s, and then quietly prorogue until the fall..What picture does that paint?It won’t be transparent governance. Just yesterday, we learned that Mr. Carney quietly rolled back most of the retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. No announcement. No debate. No explanation.It won’t be national unity. His cabinet appointments and their recent remarks suggest Alberta and the West will continue to receive only token nods while the status quo rolls on.And it certainly won’t be fiscally responsible. Mr. Carney has already committed to increased spending, an even larger bureaucracy, and a heavier burden on Canadians.I opened with a Turkish proverb — let me end with a Chinese curse: “May you be cursed to live in interesting times.”Well, welcome to interesting times. Enjoy the circus.James Albers is a Calgary-based management consultant specializing in leadership development. He was formerly a school principal and teacher of history and active in conservative politics.
