Carney stops in Vancouver as poll suggests he would boost support for Liberals

Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney isn’t ruling out calling an early election if he wins the leadership race.

“Nothing is prewired; let’s see what the situation is mid-March and do what is best for Canadians,” said Carney.

Carney made the comments Thursday while in Vancouver to announce plans to incentivize prefabricated and modular homes and the broad strokes of part of his housing plan.

“We need support from the federal government, both in terms of tax incentives, support for building codes, support for financing of individuals to drive this.”

Carney, a former Bank of Canada governor, appears to be the frontrunner in the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with a recent, online, Leger poll suggesting if Carney was the leader of the Liberals, the party would see a boost in support, by 6 points — bringing them neck and neck with the Conservatives.

Meanwhile, the same poll suggests if former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland led the party, the Liberals would see a drop in support by 3 points.

Max Cameron, a political science professor at UBC, says it’s troubling to indulge polls in so many hypotheticals at once.

Cameron says while Carney hasn’t been elected before, he’s served as Governor of the Bank of Canada — and England — and is less tarnished by association with Trudeau — unlike his rivals.

“What Carney conveys is seriousness, knowledge, experience, and possibly the kind of ability that we look for in our leaders to represent us on the world stage,” Cameron explained.

He says U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canada have also shifted the race. Carney says regardless of what happens he’ll run in the next election but didn’t specify in which riding.

“[I] grew up in Alberta. I was born in the north. My parents are from B.C. — a good part of my family lives there. I’ve lived in Toronto. I live in Ottawa. I have many ties,” said Carney.

Rival candidate Chrystia Freeland meanwhile, says she has a plan to woo back Canadian doctors and nurses practicing in the U.S.

Liberal MP Karina Gould — who’s also running — says she’d establish a basic personal income.

Ruby Dhalla and Frank Baylis are also vying to become the next leader on March 9.

—With files from Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press