ADAMS: How Common Sense Carney Saved Me From Jagmeet Singh’s Sinking Ship

Let me take you back to 2023.

If someone had told me that within two years I'd not only vote Liberal but actually door-knock for their local candidate, I'd have assumed they were trolling me. If they'd said that the Harper-era Conservative would be someone I actively ranked first on my ballot, or that I'd vote in the Liberal leadership race at all? I'd have laughed in their face. Hard.

That was just the reality of how I, and a lot of Canadians, viewed federal politics. Justin Trudeau had turned this country into an international punchline; world leaders literally turned their backs on him, his party ran candidates like Robert Rock, who chased the Conservative nomination first before settling for Liberal. Opportunistic doesn't even begin to cover it.

I wasn't a Conservative either. Pierre Poilievre's campaign was all slogans and transphobic ideologies with zero substance. Jagmeet Singh? Played his cards too early and revealed himself as unserious. I was politically homeless, watching a country I love drift into irrelevance and embarrassment.

Then Trudeau resigned. And I did something that still surprises me.

I bought a Liberal membership.

Mark Carney did that. Not the party. Not some sudden conversion to Trudeau-era groupthink. Just one man who walked into the race and made me think, okay, maybe there's hope.

Here's the thing about Carney that his critics don't get. He's not Justin Trudeau. Hell, he's not even really a “Liberal” in the way we've come to understand that word in the 2010's. Ideologically, he's to my right on many issues. We disagree on stuff. I've got frustrations with specific policy choices. But none of that matters as much as this one quality:

He's serious.

That sounds simple. It's not. Watch old videos of Brian Mulroney or Barack Obama. Watch how they carry themselves, how they command a room without saying a word. Carney has that. He walks in, and people listen. Not because he's flashy or charismatic in the conventional sense, but because he's done the work. He's earned the right to be heard.

The world leaders who once dismissed Trudeau now approach Carney. They seek him out. They want his favour. Canada is no longer that awkward relative at the international dinner table. We're relevant again. That matters for trade, for security, for every practical thing that affects our daily lives.

But here's what really got me off my couch.

Bridget Girard was running in my riding. She's the reason why me, the guy who spent years rolling his eyes at Liberal lawn signs, finally went door-knocking for a Liberal. Bridget is the quality, genuine candidate my riding needs but doesn't deserve. She meets people where they are, doesn't talk down to them, and doesn't treat politics like a game.

Under Trudeau, I viewed much of the Liberal candidates as embarrassments or opportunists. Robert Rock was the template. Bridget is the rebrand. And she's not alone. Dr. Danielle Martin in University—Rosedale? Actual credibility. Bruce Fanjoy beating Poilievre and restoring real representation to his community? That doesn't happen without leadership at the top attracting better people to run.

The national mood has shifted. I don't know how else to say it. Watch the crowds at the 4 Nations Cup. Watch how Canadians are showing up for the Blue Jays, how we're talking about the 2026 Olympics. People are wearing the maple leaf again. Not ironically. Not apologetically. Just… proudly. This is what happens when a leader conducts himself with dignity and actually looks like he belongs behind that desk. Carney's coalition proves it.

You've got lifelong Liberals, yeah. But you've also got Progressive Conservatives. You've got ex-New Democrats like me. People who spent years screaming at each other across partisan lines are suddenly finding common ground because this one guy seems to actually get it.

I was 18 when the 2025 election happened. I voted for Mark Carney first in the leadership race. A year later, I'm still convinced I made the right call. Do I agree with everything he's done? No. Are there frustrations? Obviously.

But when I look at our Prime Minister, I don't cringe or brace for embarrassment anymore. I see someone who takes the job seriously. Someone who understands that leadership isn't about performative outrage or cheap applause lines. It's about showing up, doing the work, and earning respect.

If you told me in 2023 that I'd be writing this, I'd have laughed.

But in 2023, I was watching a country slowly lose its way. Now I'm watching us find it again.

That's worth knocking on a few doors for.

This piece was written by an individual contributor and reflects the editorial position of The Provincial Times and Left Lane Media Group. Read our Content Policy here.