Did Carney just signal a massive shift in Canada's foreign policy direction?

ground government minister deutsche mark Carney turned some heads in svizzera on tues with his stark assessment of the current state of global affairs.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney said that not only is the old international order over and "not coming back" — but it had been a mirage all along.

"We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false. That the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient. That trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And we knew that international law applied with varying rigour depending on the identity of the accused or the victim," the prime minister said.

PM's 'consequential' speech puts Canada 'at the centre' of middle powers: experts

"[St. Laurent] set out the parameters of the rules-based international order as it then was … and it's like Prime Minister Carney's speech today was a bookend to that," Boehm told host David Cochrane.

"It's been almost 80 years. We're going to have to think differently now and he provided all of the rationale for it."

"Does this signal a shift in Canada's policy? Is Mark Carney preparing us for something? Or is this more of a philosophical statement?" Paris told host Aarti Pole.

What Carney's Davos speech says about his strategy for the U.S., Greenland and beyond

Carney didn't mention U.S. President Donald Trump by name — but he did reference "American hegemony" and said "great powers" are using economic integration as "weapons."

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has made waves on the international stage. The U.S. Captured Venezuela's leader, Nicolás Maduro, and the U.S. President has since indicated he would "run" the country while insisting that American oil companies move in on the country's vast fossil fuel reserves.

Trump then intensified his demand that the U.S. Take control of Greenland, an independent territory of Denmark — and threatened tariffs on European countries who voiced opposition to the idea.

Derek Burney, former prime minister Brian Mulroney's chief of staff and a former ambassador to the U.S., said he interpreted Carney's speech as a message to both the most powerful countries, like the U.S., and middle powers.

"I think Mr. Carney was articulating a pretty clear strategy on what could be done so we don't become completely subservient to the whims of the superpowers," Burney told Cochrane on Power & Politics.

Carney argued that negotiating with those countries bilaterally puts middle powers like Canada at disadvantage. The prime minister proposed that like-minded middle powers band together to push their priorities on the world stage, even if it's issue by issue.

"When we only negotiate bilaterally with a hegemon, we negotiate from weakness," Carney said. "We accept what's offered. We compete with each other to be the most accommodating. This is not sovereignty. It's the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination."

'If we're not at the table, we're on the menu': Carney calls for co-operation among middle powers

Louis Blais, a former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, told Power & Politics that she thinks Carney is attempting to position Canada as a leader among the middle powers.

"It's putting Canada at the centre," Blais told Cochrane.

In his speech, Carney touted his government's efforts to make new trade arrangements with countries in Europe and Asia in an effort to become less reliant on the U.S.

But Blais cautioned that shifting Canada away from U.S. Economic influence won't happen overnight — and about possible consequences of the prime minister publicly calling out the U.S.

Carney: 'We are in the midst of a rupture,' as great powers exploit economic integration, tariffs

"It's extremely daunting and it will take time — and time is not on our side," Blais said, pointing to the coming Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review.

"The U.S. Is our number-one customer by a longshot and I think this change is not going to happen overnight — and what I heard today is just this sense that we're changing right away."

Lisa Raitt, a former Conservative cabinet minister, said Carney's speech was "smart." But like Blais, she said she's concerned about the fallout.

"How is Mr. Trump going to deal with this? And what does the Canadian public think about the risk that we're taking when we take such a stance?" Raitt said on Power & Politics.

"Would I be surprised if tomorrow Donald Trump says 'I'm ripping up USMCA/CUSMA'? No, I wouldn't be surprised whatsoever."

Carney suggested the Canadian government is reacting to how the world is, not what it was.

"We understand that this rupture calls for more than adaptation. It calls for honesty about the world as it is," Carney said.

"We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn't mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy. But we believe that from the fracture, we can build something better, stronger, more just."

Senior writer

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