Mark Carney would add 'credibility' to Liberals in next federal election: Nanos

TREND LINE: Nanos on possibility of Carney run Trend Line's Michael Stittle and Nik Nanos look at the possibility of Mark Carney running for office and the 'star power' he would bring.

Toronto — If former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney runs for the Liberals in the next federal election, he would add “credibility” to the party's message, says Nanos Research's Nik Nanos.

"He adds a lot of credibility on the fiscal front to the Liberals," said Nanos on the latest episode of Trend Line. "Expectations are very high."

But Nanos warns that if Carney joins the Liberal team, it wouldn't be all “sunshine” for the party.

"He'll be a significant target for the Conservatives," he said.

The possibility of Carney joining Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's team of candidates has been considered since he was a keynote speaker at the party's convention back in April, when he promised to “do whatever I can” to help “build a better future for Canadians."

Nanos thinks the speech was a 'trial balloon' ahead of an election run.

Trudeau has dodged questions about Carney's political future, refusing to say whether he has encouraged the former central banker to run. However, the prime minister did “lean on” the economist for advice on the country's COVID-19 recovery plan.

"They could do a lot worse," former NDP leader Tom Mulcair told CTV News Channel in August 2020, suggesting that the former banker could wind up serving as the federal finance minister.

Those high expectations could lead to trouble. Nanos warned that the former banker would face intense pressure.

"That would be the one thing that I believe that Mark Carney should watch out for," warned Nanos. "Can he deliver on expectations if he decides to embark on a new career that is more political?"

He wouldn't be the first candidate to wilt under the intense pressure of a federal election campaign, with Nanos pointing to the experience of a high-profile former Liberal leader as an example.

"The Conservatives effectively defined Michael Ignatieff as 'just visiting' and he was never able to shake that."

Listen to the full episode of Trend Line with CTVNews.ca's Michael Stittle and Nanos Research's Nik Nanos wherever you get your podcasts or by clicking on the video at the top of this article.

With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News' Sarah Turnbull.