Carney’s friend and fundraiser likely headed to Washington

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Opposition parties howled with anger over reports that Prime Minister Mark Carney will appoint his friend and fundraiser Mark Wiseman as Canada’s next ambassador to Washington. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Wiseman a “corporate crony” and an “elite” — two things that actually might help him in Washington and with the Trump administration.

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Wiseman is a Bay St. veteran who worked at Blackrock and headed up the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. He was a key fundraiser for Mark Carney’s leadership, bringing in support from Canada’s business community.

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Advocates for Canada’s population increasing to 100 million

While widely regarded as a smart and accomplished investment banker, Wiseman doesn’t have a major public profile, and what he is known to be controversial. He co-founded the Century Initiative with former Trudeau advisor and McKinsey CEO Dominic Barton. The organization advocates for Canada to increase its population to 100 million by 2100.

That was the reason the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois were critical during Question Period. Poilievre said that Wiseman’s population policy, “is designed to profit multinational corporations by driving wages down and housing costs up.”

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“Why is it every time somebody comes along with an idea that harms Canadians and drives up their cost of living, the Prime Minister gives them a promotion?” Poilievre asked.

The Carney Liberals have gone to great lengths to insist increasing Canada’s population to 100 million is not government policy.

Well respected in the business community

While the opposition parties were critical, Wiseman is receiving praise from the business community.

“Strong business mind,” said one acquaintance of Wiseman, while also acknowledging that he’s not your typical ambassador.

“He’s a guy who will have no problem wining and dining in Washington,” said another Bay St. contact.

The top diplomatic post in Washington opened up with the announcement by current ambassador Kirsten Hillman that she will step down in the new year.

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“While there will never be a perfect time to leave, this is the right time to put a team in place that will see the CUSMA review through to its conclusion,” Hillman said.

Hillman was praised publicly by Trump’s top trade official, Jamieson Greer, who called her a “class act.” Behind the scenes, though, there have been grumbling for months that Hillman, while a skilled trade negotiator herself, was not the right person to be ambassador.

Business connections may prove useful

Wiseman is completely untested with no direct experience in politics or diplomacy, but his business background may help him build bridges and a relationship with key cabinet secretaries such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. In speaking to several people on background about Wiseman and his potential appointment, it was raised that Wiseman had experience dealing with Lutnick during his time in New York with Blackrock.

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While Wiseman’s appointment has not been confirmed — some Liberals doubt it will happen — his name has clearly been floated by the government.

Whoever takes on the position in Washington will face a very difficult job of renegotiating CUSMA. That’s if there is a CUSMA at all, with Jamieson Greer stating at an event in Washington on Wednesday that given that the American relationship with Canada is different than the relationship with Mexico, it might be time to break-up what started as NAFTA.

“The labour situation is different. The import-export profile is different. The rule of law is different. So, it makes sense to talk about things separately with Canada and Mexico,” he said.

Then there is what shape the deal will take.

There is a very good chance that the Americans won’t accept any deal going forward that doesn’t involve some sort of baseline tariffs, even for Canadian goods. They are also looking to put caps on exports such as steel and autos with much higher tariffs on any Canadian imports above the quota threshold.

Canada’s reputation in Washington isn’t what is used to be, and that’s with both parties.

Wiseman will need to rebuild trust; thankfully, if he is the pick, we know he will have the ear of Carney.

And right now, there’s one guy in Washington who really seems to like Carney – that would be Donald Trump.

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