A political rock star comes to Canberra. Did he match the hype?

March 5, 2026 — 7:45pm

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A rock star: that’s how the Lowy Institute’s executive director Michael Fullilove described Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney when the pair sat down for a chat on global affairs on Wednesday evening.

Fullilove acknowledged the label is a surprising one. After all, not only is Carney a politician but a longtime central banker – a career that, with all due respect to the monetary masters of the universe, is not usually associated with being cool.

Yet Carney achieved something remarkable with his much-discussed speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January – going viral with a thoughtful, even lofty, analysis of the geopolitical landscape. While carefully crafted, Carney’s speech cut through the clutter because of its clarity and directness. Politicians often say they will leave the commentary to others, but here was a world leader calling time on the “fantasy” of the rules-based international order and warning middle powers they risk being subordinated by bigger nations unless they band together.

Donald Trump was not a fan of Carney’s subtle but unmistakable digs at his administration, and promptly........

© The Sydney Morning Herald