So that’s settled, then: Mark Carney will not be leaving the Bank of Canada, but will remain at his post, at the least to the end of his term. This will disappoint those who were hoping to lure him away to the Bank of England, but not half so much as it will disappoint those Liberals who were hoping he would come lead their party.
Nothing better illustrates the present Chekhovian state of the party than the Carney fantasy. I cannot tell you how many conversations I have had with Liberals where his name comes up. No evidence is offered that he has ever once indicated a flicker of interest in the job: it’s more floated as a what-if, a wouldn’t-it-be-great, an “if you could choose anybody” kind of thing. A fantasy, in other words. As governor of the Bank, and as chairman of the group of global banking regulators known as the Financial Stability Board, Carney is currently engaged in running the world. The idea that he would give this up to run for leader of a party that is now at barely 20% in the polls — well, as I say, this tells you something about the Liberals’ grasp on reality.
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