Yesterday morning, before Mark Carney addressed the country, I wrote on here about what people need from leaders in moments of deep uncertainty.
“The promised wage and business supports are what matter when the consequences start showing up. They need to be fast. They need to be visible. And people need to understand what the plan is beyond matching tariffs.
And he will need to talk to Canadians. Calm fears. Answer questions and tell the country what comes next.”
When people are living with a precarity mindset, they do not need to be told there is nothing to worry about.
My Toronto Star piece in today’s paper looks at Carney’s speech through that lens.
Canadians entered the weekend with their heads and hearts pulling in different directions. They understood the economic damage tariffs could cause, but resisted accepting a bad or unreliable deal simply to end the uncertainty.
Carney’s address spoke to both instincts.
He explained why Canada walked away, warned that Washington’s “signature was written in pencil,” and delayed retaliatory tariffs until after Labour Day. He then shifted from what Canada cannot control to what it can do: build, diversify and support affected workers and businesses.
“We’re masters of our destiny” was the core of the pitch: Canadians still have agency.
But reassurance has limits. Public goodwill will depend on whether the government can turn its plan into visible progress and keep Canada confident enough to invest, build and take risks.
Take a read of my full piece:
