‘A number of olive branches’
In his speech, Carney made a kind of summary of all the things he promised before and during the election campaign: improving internal trade, building partnerships with allies, Canada’s leadership on foreign affairs, as well as expanding dental care, protecting pharmacare and child care.
He also said he’d follow through on creating a new housing entity and provide $25 billion in financing to private developers with a goal of building “twice as many homes per year” using Canadian products, including lumber.
Carney appeared to deliver “a number of olive branches, particularly going out to Conservative voters,” said Jordan Leichnitz of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, speaking on a panel on CBC News Network.
The focus on affordability, crime and housing in the speech were part of that, said Leichnitz, who is also a former senior staffer for the federal NDP.
Carney also used “a more gracious tone toward Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives,” Leichnitz said, calling it “very smart” because Conservatives are beset by internal issues around Poilievre’s leadership.
