Front-runner Carney faces jabs from all sides at French-language debate

Liberal Leader Mark Carney faced jabs from his opponents at Wednesday's French-language leaders' debate with accusations he's out of touch with working people and won't offer enough change from his unpopular predecessor — charges he denied as he fought back saying he's the best candidate to handle the U.S. threat and a slumping economy.

While Carney came under attack at points, the two-hour contest was a largely polite affair and the former central banker emerged from the debate relatively unscathed.

The anglophone Liberal leader was thought to be in a tough position given he's less fluent in French than the other leaders, but Carney held his own in Canada's other official language.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Carney was former prime minister Justin Trudeau's "economic adviser" and re-electing the Liberals to a fourth consecutive term would only deliver more of the same. Carney offered advice to the last government during the COVID-19 pandemic and at the end of last year on a part-time basis.

"The problem, Mr. Carney, is your party has been in power for 10 years. You are just like Justin Trudeau. We need change," Poilievre said.

Carney didn't roll over in the face of these attacks, saying Poilievre is the wrong person at the wrong time with Canada staring down U.S. President Donald Trump and his trade war.

"You're not Justin Trudeau and I'm not Justin Trudeau either, OK?" Carney fired back.

"The question in this election is who is going to succeed in facing Donald Trump. We are in a crisis, the most serious crisis of our lives. We need to react with resounding and overwhelming strength. We need a government ready to act," Carney said, promising to be laser-focused on building the economy in the face of Trump's broadsides, if elected.

Later, Poilievre asked Carney if he was "embarrassed" to ask voters for another term after some perceived Liberal policy failures under Trudeau. He said the economy is poor, crime is up and stringent environmental policies have hamstrung Canada's oil and gas sector while fuelling regional alienation.

Carney said he's his own man and it's unfair to blame him for past problems.

"I've just become leader. I've been prime minister for a month," he said.

Carney said in that short time he's cut the carbon tax, worked with the provinces to break down internal trade barriers, negotiated a military partnership with Australia, started more intensive trade talks with France and the United Kingdom and agreed to sit down with Trump after this election to craft a new bilateral agreement, if elected.

"We've done all of that in this short time — we've done all of that in a month," he said.

Asked at the post-debate news conference if Trudeau was a good prime minister, Carney said his predecessor "made important contributions to this country," saying the last prime minister advanced Indigenous reconciliation and equity issues.