Most mornings, I move through a routine that probably looks a lot like yours: wrangle the dogs, feed the cat, get the coffee going, check the business emails, skim the personal ones, glance at Facebook, and only then start thinking about the rest of the day. Nothing unusual.
Except today, my inbox was overflowing with statements from Prime Minister Mark Carney. Not dramatic and not performative announcements. Just straightforward records of what he’s doing: the work, the diplomacy, the economic files, the defence briefings. Five statements this morning alone. He’s in South Africa right now for the for the G20. Yes that South Africa, which people keep mislabeling with this week’s buzzwords. (A conversation for another day.)
And here’s the truth: over the past couple of months, I’ve sometimes wondered why Carney isn’t “louder.” Why he doesn’t slap a spotlight on every single thing he’s doing. Why he doesn’t pound his chest the way some leaders do. Then I look at Donald Trump’s gold-trimmed office, the oversized signature, the photo ops with the Dr. Oz, Rubio, RFK Jr, Pam Bondy cartoon lineup, and I remember: we do not need a second one of those. We already have the world champion of self-promotion.
Mark Carney leads in the opposite way, the Canadian way. Quiet, steady, competent, and never with overdramitization.
So this morning, I sat down and read the last 20 or 30 statements. And while I know these files well, I follow them obsessively, seeing them lined up, one after another, honestly hit me.
Because people keep saying, “Carney’s not doing anything.”
Well, actually, we have the receipts. In these press releases.
Literal receipts showing meetings, important calls, negotiations. and coordinated actions with our allies. All drafted, published, and sitting right there for anyone who bothers to look.
Look at the relationships he’s building. Look at his work on economic stability. Look at defence, safety, and security. Look at the effort happening behind the scenes, quietly, without the need for applause.
And look at the company he keeps: the leaders of nearly every major democracy. Because unlike the guy down south, Carney actually understands that alliances matter, not just for photo ops, but for Canada’s long-term economic and security interests.
Here’s a perfect example from today: Carney and several other leaders issued a joint statement that politely, thanked Donald Trump for his “efforts” on Ukraine. And then said, just as politely, that his proposal isn’t a credible peace plan. That it hands over land. That it weakens Ukraine’s defence posture. That it’s not peace at all, it’s capitulation presented as compromise.
This is the kind of work serious leaders do. Not performative nor loud but rather deeply consequential.
I challenge everyone to subscribe to Carney’s statements and actually read them. Yes, they’re written in diplomatic English. They won’t make you laugh. They won’t give you the adrenaline hit of an opinion piece. But that’s the point: he’s not writing for entertainment. He’s governing.
And thank God for that. Thank God he’s not a blogger, a huckster, or a man selling miracle cures out of a suitcase. And most importantly, thank God he is not Donald Trump.
Carney isn’t trying to be a celebrity. He doesn’t need rallies, slogans, or a stadium chant to keep going. He works. He thinks long-term. He moves Canada forward with intention instead of volume. He treats leadership like the responsibility it is.
This morning, after going through those statements, I felt something I wasn’t expecting: genuine gratitude. Gratitude that we have a prime minister who actually wakes up and works, not for attention, but for outcomes. Gratitude that we have someone who sees Canada as part of a global community, not an island. Gratitude that we have someone playing the long game instead of chasing the day’s headlines.
If you read what Mark Carney is doing, day after day, meeting after meeting, and still can’t see Canada’s role on the world stage rising, still can’t see the strategic work under the surface, still can’t see the direction he’s steering this country…
…then you may not understand what this moment truly demands.
Me? I see it. Clear as day. And I’ll say it plainly: I’m sure glad Mark Carney is our prime minister. Because leadership isn’t volume, it’s competence. And frankly, I’ll take competence every damn time.
Nancy's Notes 