Canada in crisis – Mark Carney is the right choice to lead the country out of this economic crisis
by Dave Tulloch
April 28, 2025, will undoubtedly be recorded in the annals as another turning point in Canada’s history. On this date, Canada’s voting population will choose a leader to navigate Canada through the current and future turbulent times at home and abroad. In previous Canadian national elections, the reality of dealing with external threats has rarely been a factor in Canadians’ minds as they mull their choices on who they intend to elect as their leader. Canadians typically enter the polling booth with domestic concerns as top-of-mind issues. But this time is different. It may be for the first time in Canada’s contemporary history that Canadians are laser-focused on the external threats that promise to undermine their economy and, most importantly, the threat to their existence as a free sovereign nation. Most troubling to Canadians is that these external threats are directly from their closest neighbour, ally, and friend.
This is not to say Canadians are not concerned about the myriad domestic challenges confronting them. Individuals and families are worried about housing, financial challenges, and many other issues that they believe our government should address. However, their sentiments are clear during this election cycle. Canadians are looking to elect a leader who will confront the source of their most troubling external challenges. They will expect their leader to do this from a position of strength, to minimize, if not eliminate, any potential impacts on the lives of Canadian citizens and the country.
Canadians from coast to coast are probably more tuned in during this election cycle than in previous elections. The stakes are very high. Tariffs imposed by the U.S., coupled with Canada’s response, are posing direct threats to individuals’ economic welfare, and the uncertainty that surrounds their imposition is crippling business decisions. Canadians certainly believe in their country’s ability to chart a path forward that will result in positive outcomes in the long run. The wave of Canadian nationalism over the past few months is a testimony to Canada’s resolve, and the trendline of recent polls regarding national leadership is highly favourable to Mark Carney. It is looking like Canadians are leaning towards the new Liberal Prime Minister to lead them through this era of economic uncertainty.
In January, an Angus poll that gauged the “Level of support for Canada joining the U.S.” found 90% of Canadians said no to joining the USA. This is an overwhelmingly strong message for our southern neighbours. However, the fact that ten percent of Canada’s population is looking southward with more favourablity should be of concern to the majority, given the current climate and what this portends for the future. And I say this as a Canadian who, though spending most of my lifetime in Canada, has also lived and worked in the USA for nearly two decades. Therefore, I would caution those who tend toward “yes” for the United States to annex Canada, i.e. “take possession of an area of land or a country, usually by force or without permission”, to do their due diligence and carefully consider what it would mean for them to become American under such circumstances.
The reality is that Canada is dealing with an economic and existential crisis. The need for a crisis manager is evident. All Canadians understand this. And this is essentially the fundamental decision on the ballot. Canadians will choose the future direction of this country. We’ll select a leader who is either “in sync” with the US president who initiated this crisis, or the leader who has demonstrated his effectiveness in economic crisis management, both here in Canada and on an international scale. This crisis manager is Mark Carney, the current Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The power to choose is in the hands of the people of Canada. That is how democracy works. On April 28, we Canadians will determine the future of “our home and native land”. I believe that readers of Black Ottawa Scene fully understand the weight of this choice, not only on today’s generation, but also for future generations. Therefore, I’m hoping Canadians will make the right choice and elect Mark Carney to steer “the true north” through this unfortunate predicament that is being forced upon us. May “God keep our land glorious and free!”
Dave Tulloch was born in Jamaica. He immigrated to Canada in 1970 to pursue post-secondary education. He earned a diploma in electronics engineering technology from Algonquin College, a Bachelor of Administration and a Bachelor of Commerce (Hon) from the University of Ottawa, and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University. He has had an extensive career in information technology; as a computer engineer with Digital Equipment, an information systems consultant with Systemhouse, KPMG, and then with Oracle Corporation in the USA where he retired as a director in the Oracle Cloud Services Organization. He taught information systems and business courses at CEGEP (Hull) and later tutored at Wake Tech College in North Carolina. Dave wrote many articles for the Ottawa Spectrum, a publication focussing on Ottawa’s Visible Minority community within Ottawa during the 1980s and 90s. Dave’s publication of the book entitled Ottawa’s Caribbean Community – History and Profiles since 1955, documents the history of Blacks in Ottawa and the life stories of early Caribbean Immigrants to Canada’s Capital City. This book is being distributed by Amazon worldwide, by the publisher at petrabooks.ca, and it can be purchased from major book resellers including Indigo in Canada and Barnes & Noble in the USA where it was promoted as one of the best books in 2023.