Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney has not fully resigned from his international board positions, contradicting his earlier claims that he had stepped down from “all” his roles before entering the race, according to an investigation by the National Post.
“I have resigned all of my positions. I have resigned all of my positions, full stop,” Carney declared on January 16 when launching his campaign to become Canada’s next prime minister. However, the National Post found that the former Bank of Canada governor remains connected to at least five organizations, including a presidency at Chatham House.
The newspaper contacted nearly two dozen organizations where Carney had public links until recently. While he resigned from most positions around the time he launched his leadership bid in January, he continues to hold positions at several high-profile international organizations.
Among these is the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), where Carney is still listed as a board member. When contacted, the PIIE’s vice president Maggie Chai told the National Post, “To be frank with you, we simply haven’t been in contact with Mark Carney in the last few months to discuss his role as member of the Peterson Institute’s Board.”
Carney also remains a member of Harvard University’s Board of Overseers, a position he was elected to in 2021 with a term set to expire in 2027. According to Harvard, Carney has informed them he intends to step down on March 9, when the next Liberal leader will be announced.
Additionally, a spokesperson from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford confirmed Carney maintains a position on their international advisory board, though it is not a paid role.
The Group of Thirty, an international body of economists and bankers, also confirmed Carney remains their chair, another voluntary position.
When questioned about these contradictions, Carney’s campaign director Braeden Caley clarified that Carney had “stepped away from all of his former paid roles” and was “moving to wind down other volunteer roles with non-profits or universities.”
The campaign also acknowledged they were aware of “several out-of-date biographies and representations online” and said they were “working to see those addressed.”
Carney did resign as senior counsellor at global counsel firm Macro Advisory Partners on January 15, the day before his leadership launch, but only stepped down from the volunteer board of directors of the Rideau Hall Foundation on January 19, three days after his campaign announcement. PIMCO, an investment management firm, notified employees on January 17 that Carney would be stepping down from its global advisory board.
Regarding his United Nations role as Special Envoy on Climate Change, a UN spokesperson said Carney’s contract “ended at the end of 2024” and he did not resign.
The Liberal leadership race concludes on March 9. Under conflict of interest rules, Carney would only need to disclose potential conflicts and his assets if he wins the leadership and is sworn in as prime minister.
Carney has promised to comply with all ethics rules if successful in his bid to lead the Liberal party.
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