Former prime minister Stephen Harper says Liberal management hopeful Mark Carney is taking an excessive amount of credit score for serving to information Canada’s response to the 2008 international monetary disaster.
Carney’s historical past main the Financial institution of Canada from 2008 to 2013, earlier than shifting on to the Financial institution of England, has been a pillar of his bid to exchange Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as he pitches himself as somebody who would deliver a gentle hand to the economic system.
Carney’s marketing campaign web site states that in the course of the 2008 monetary disaster, he “guided Canada via one of the crucial turbulent financial durations in fashionable historical past, defending jobs and serving to make sure that Canada got here out stronger.”
With lower than every week earlier than Liberals select their subsequent chief, Harper, the Conservative prime minister on the time of the disaster, is taking challenge with Carney’s characterization.
In a latest fundraising letter, Harper wrote that Carney — extensively seen because the frontrunner within the race — is undermining former finance minister Jim Flaherty’s legacy. Flaherty died in 2014.
“I’ve listened, with rising disbelief, to Mark Carney’s makes an attempt to take credit score for issues he had little or nothing to do with again then,” learn the letter.
“He has been doing this on the expense of the late Jim Flaherty, among the many best Finance Ministers in Canada’s historical past, who sadly will not be right here to defend his file. However let me be very clear: the arduous calls in the course of the 2008-2009 international monetary disaster have been made by Jim.”
The previous prime minister’s letter comes weeks after Carney revealed Harper requested him to hitch his cupboard as finance minister in 2012.
Harper beforehand praised Carney
In a February interview on CBC’s Rosemary Barton Stay, Carney was requested why he was coming into the political fray now, after his identify has been tossed round in Liberal circles for years.
“I’ve been provided positions prior to now,” Carney informed Barton. “For instance, prime minister Harper requested me if I might be his finance minister in 2012.”
On the time of the interview, Harper’s former director of communications Dimitri Soudas mentioned, “Carney will not be telling the entire story, and prime minister Harper definitely doesn’t assist Mr. Carney in any approach.”
Harper’s letter, shared with media Monday, doesn’t deny he provided him the place.
The tone of Harper’s letter is starkly completely different from a few of his earlier public feedback about Carney.
When Carney left to guide the Financial institution of England, Harper congratulated him for being a “valued associate as the federal government has labored to steer Canada away from the worst impacts of the worldwide financial recession.
“In consequence, Canada stays an instance to the world with its robust banks, efficient regulatory setting and sound financial coverage,” Harper mentioned on the time.
The previous prime minister’s feedback are simply the most recent spherical of backwards and forwards over how a lot credit score Carney ought to get for efficiently steering Canada’s response to the 2008 international finance disaster.
Final month, Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre’s spouse, Anaida, criticized Carney on social media and claimed the previous central banker was “claiming the legacy of a person who has since handed.”
Carney’s workforce has not responded to Harper’s letter.
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