But the economy cannot be treated as if it were Canada Inc.

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During a media session following the Mark Carney government’s speech from the throne on Tuesday, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet described it as “the most important initiative by a federal government towards centralization that I have seen or heard.” Then he added that he believes Prime Minister Carney “sees himself culturally as the CEO of Canada.” It is not clear which specific aspects of the speech drove Blanchet to that conclusion, nor did he describe what he meant by Carney being a “cultural” CEO.

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It would have perhaps been more accurate and obvious if Blanchet had described Carney’s policy approach and motives as corporate in nature rather than cultural. The economic content of the speech, paired with the giant catalogue of government interventions in the Carney election platform, offer solid backing for another conclusion: “Mr. Carney sees himself economically as the CEO of Canada.”

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Carney lived up to that image during his first question period in the House of Commons. “Canada’s new government, Mr. Speaker, is acting immediately to grow this economy.” The conveyed impression is that government policy — not markets, consumers, businesses and executives — is the real driver of growth and prosperity.

The image of Prime Minister Carney as chief executive of the national........

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