Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, speaks during a news conference in London, August 13, 2014. Photo courtesy the Bank of England/Flickr.

Sovereignty has become the single most important issue of the upcoming federal election. Our nation’s response to threats of annexation from our southern neighbour has superseded everything else. President Trump’s aggressive posturing, including his tariff threats, public insults, and general bellicosity has turned Canada’s political landscape upside down. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has lost momentum, making what once appeared to be an easy win for the Tories into a genuine political contest. The greatest beneficiary of this tumult is the Liberal Party and its newly minted leader, and prime minister, Mark Carney.

With American threats looming large in the public consciousness, Canadians are reflecting on what a possible Liberal victory might mean. Carney could be responsible for far more than maintaining national independence. He is positioning himself to govern a free and independent Canada, and his decisions could shape our lives for years to come.

Fortunately, we don’t have to rely on campaign literature to discern Carney’s vision for the future. The decades he’s spent in both the private sector and the public service, as well as his 2021 book, Value(s): Building a Better World for All, offer insights into the political imagination of the central banker who would be prime minister.

Carney’s storied career falls on both sides of the private-public divide. He cut his teeth with some of the most predaceous financial firms in the business, with years spent working at Goldman Sachs Canada’s investment banking division and the real-estate investment........

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