Transcription
If you were Mr. Polyv, would you quit today?
>> I don't. That's an unfair question. Um I I I don't I can't look into the heart of Mr. Poly.
>> Pier Polio called you badly educated in economics and
>> he did.
>> Wow.
>> Uh given
>> so I'd like to hear a little bit about
>> Can I take back my previous answer? No, just that's a joke.
That moment right there, that light unscripted exchange tells you something important about Mark Carney. Because just hours after securing a full majority in Parliament, the first Canadian government to do so since 2019, Carney didn't walk into this press conference to celebrate. He didn't deliver a long victory speech. He didn't dwell on politics. He came in with one focus, results.
Because while the room had its lighter moments, the purpose of this conference was serious. A rapidly changing, more dangerous world, rising costs, and immediate pressure on Canadian households. And what followed made one thing clear. Carney isn't here to perform. He's here to act. And before we get into it, subscribe to Canada Today for clear in-depth analysis on the moments shaping Canada right now.
>> Yesterday, voters placed their trust in Canada's new government's plan. We accept their support with humility, determination, and a clear understanding of what this moment demands for our country.
That opening statement matters more than it may seem because Mark Carney isn't just acknowledging a political win. He's framing it as a responsibility. A majority government gives him power but also removes excuses. There's no gridlock, no delays, no political cover, which means every decision from this point forward will define not just his government, but the direction of the country itself.
The world is more divided and dangerous. The impacts of foreign conflicts and accelerating technological change are increasingly being felt here at home. And Canada's new government will continue to focus on what we can control. Building a strong Canadian economy, diversifying our trading partners abroad to increase our independence and support our prosperity. Delivering responsible fiscal management and supporting Canadians who are under pressure, under pressure from everyday expenses with a boost today and a bridge to a better tomorrow. We've been moving fast and we're getting results. We'll build a Canada that's not just strong, but good. Not just prosperous, but fair. Not just for some most of the time, but for all all of the time. We're building big. We're moving fast. And we're just getting started. But we also know that the road ahead will not always be straight. There'll be bumps, steep climbs along the way. And some of the payoffs from these big investments will take some time to be realized. And we know that Canadians are feeling the pressures of everyday expenses right now.
>> This is where the tone of the entire conference shifts because Carney is not speaking in isolation. He's placing Canada inside a much larger global reality. A world that is becoming more divided, more unstable, and more unpredictable. And while he doesn't name it directly, the message is clear. The global environment shaped by leaders like Donald Trump has consequences that are now being felt inside Canada itself. Which is why his focus is shifting toward control. What Canada can build, what Canada can secure, and how Canada can protect its own economic future in a world that is no longer stable.
We all know that because of the war with Iran, fuel prices have increased sharply around the world, including right here in Canada. So, we're taking more action to help build that bridge over short-term pressures. With the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Natural Resources, we're announcing today that Canada's new government will temporarily suspend the federal fuel excise tax from next Monday until Labor Day. We're also removing the fuel excise tax on aviation fuels. This will remove up to 10 cents per liter on gasoline and 4 cents per liter on diesel fuel. Combined with our earlier elimination of the consumer carbon tax, our government will have reduced fuel prices on gas by up to 28 cents per liter. That's real relief for you and your family at the end of the day. We know we can't control what other countries do. We can control what we choose to do and we choose to build a Canada strong for all Canadians.
>> And this is the core of why this press conference happened. Not announcements for the distant future, not long-term promises, but immediate tangible relief. Because as global conflict, particularly the war involving Iran, pushes fuel prices higher across the world, the pressure doesn't stay abstract. It shows up at the pump. It shows up in household budgets. It shows up in everyday decisions Canadians are being forced to make. And what Mark Carney is doing here is drawing a very clear line between what Canada cannot control and what it absolutely can. Canada cannot control global conflict. It cannot control oil shocks driven by geopolitical instability. But it can control how much of that burden is passed on to its own people. And by temporarily suspending the federal fuel excise tax, the government is stepping in not symbolically but materially to reduce that burden in real time. This is not just an economic measure. It is a governing philosophy. Act quickly, target the pressure points and deliver relief where Canadians actually feel it. Because in moments like this, policy is not about messaging. It's about impact.
>> If you were Mr. Polyv, would you quit today?
>> I don't. That's an unfair question. Um I I I don't I can't look into the heart of Mr. Polyv. I I I uh I respect him as a parliamentarian uh as I do the other leaders of the other parties. and uh we'll you know I'll continue to work uh with uh with him and uh and all parliamentarians uh as will my colleagues uh to advance the interests of Canadians.
>> Next question.
>> Uh morning to Mc Charles Toronto Star. Um Pier called you badly educated in economics and
>> he did.
>> Wow.
>> Uh given
>> so I'd like to hear a little bit about
>> Can I take back my previous answer? No, just that's a joke. You can respond to it if you wish. My question though is to get your view of um how you assess the risk of recession in Canada and the impact on government revenues and people's pocketbooks given what you just referred to turmoil in the Middle East that's causing energy and supply chain chain crunches.
>> Yeah. So, uh Miss Mc Charles, this is this is a important uh and fundamental question. is something that uh we think about constantly um and we design our economic response uh myself with the minister uh and the rest of the cabinet we we design our economic response with that in mind. Um there is an enormous shock uh in the global economy that is undergoing right now uh because of uh because of the conflict. Uh and we uh we have to assess what's the best approach uh given our core plan and what can we do in the short term. Uh and so we're balancing support for Canadians with the measure today uh with responsible fiscal management and reinforcing reinforcing uh the plan to build Canada strong uh on housing, on community infrastructure, uh energy infrastructure, new ports, etc.
That that is restoring investor confidence both here in Canada and globally. And moments like that, while light on the surface, carry more weight than they appear to because they offer a glimpse into how Mark Carney handles pressure in unscripted situations. The questions are unpredictable. The tone can shift instantly, and yet the response remains controlled, measured, and composed. There's confidence, but not arrogance. There's humor, but it doesn't derail the purpose of the moment. And that balance matters because leadership today is not just tested in prepared speeches. It's tested in these exact exchanges where tone, judgment, and control all come together in real time.
And what stands out here is that even after the laughter, even after the moment passes, the focus doesn't drift. The conversation returns immediately to substance, the economy, global instability, support for Canadians, which reinforces something important. This is not a leader looking to dominate the room. It's a leader looking to manage it and then move forward with purpose.
What we saw in this press conference was not a victory lap. It was a transition. a transition from campaigning to governing with full authority. Because with a majority now secured, Mark Carney has both the mandate and the responsibility to act decisively. And instead of starting with rhetoric, he started with relief. In a world shaped by conflict, rising costs, and uncertainty, that choice matters because it signals the kind of leadership Canadians can expect moving forward. Focused, direct, and grounded in results. The question now is not whether Carney has the power to act. It's how far he's willing to go with it. Subscribe to Canada Today for daily coverage of the decisions shaping Canada's future.