The caretaker convention might sound like the title of a straight-to-streaming action flick, but the 3,487-word protocol is actually a significant tool for making sure that federal elections are fought fairly.
At its heart, the convention is meant to ensure that the governing party stays at arms’ length from the machinery of government during a campaign whenever possible. That’s for two reasons: to avoid, if at all possible, tying the hands of the government formed after the vote; and to ensure that an incumbent does not unduly benefit from the sheen of official office.
As the Privy Council Office notes in the protocol, observing the caretaker convention is how “governments at the end of their current mandate demonstrate respect for the democratic will of the people.”
Which is what makes Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s expansive use of the prime minister’s mantle in this campaign so problematic. Mr. Carney has taken up prime ministerial duties on six out of 17 campaign days to date, including Tuesday.
Some of those occasions have been clearly necessary, because of the bizarre and destructive trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump. Mr. Carney suspended his campaign briefly late last month, returning to Ottawa to chair a cabinet committee on U.S.-Canada relations. The following day, he spoke with Mr. Trump and then briefed the premiers. In both cases, it was appropriate for Mr. Carney to briefly resume his prime ministerial duties.
Mr. Carney’s April 2 speech in response to Mr. Trump’s tariffs was also fair ball. Canadians needed to hear from the Prime Minister that day, not the Liberal Party Leader.
The next day, however, Mr. Carney gave another address as Prime Minister that stepped over the line. In that speech, he outlined in detail Canada’s retaliatory measures. That information could have been delivered by a deputy minister, or by simple news release.
Even more problematically, Mr. Carney blended that response with his campaign commitments, such as a $2-billion fund for the automotive industry’s supply chain. Intentional or not, that approach melded the Liberals’ campaign platform with the Government of Canada’s response – clearly disregarding the essence of the caretaker convention.
Similarly, there is no justification for Mr. Carney stepping back into the role of prime minister for calls with the leaders of Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom on three separate days. The readout of the call with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz, which in part “highlighted the successes of Hannover Messe [a trade show],” is a particularly striking example of just how non-urgent those calls were.
Mr. Carney has been clear in saying that any negotiations with the United States must wait on the results of the April 28 election, and that he will seek to earn the right to represent Canada in those talks. In the meantime, the Liberal Leader should take greater care in observing the caretaker convention, and respecting the democratic process.