By Lori Turnbull

January 22, 2026

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney gave an address that will go down in history as one of the most important and impactful ever delivered by a Canadian leader to the world.

At Quebec City’s historic Citadelle on Thursday, he followed it up with a speech to Canadians which, for both its timing and substance, may go down in Canadian history as equally pivotal.

In Davos, spoke about how the world’s great powers are weaponizing against us the very integration that was supposed to keep the world safe. Mr. Carney warned that if these great powers pursue their interests in the absence of at least some grounding in rules and values, then other countries that they rely upon as “allies” will diversify their partnerships to “hedge against uncertainty.”

In that vein, he called upon the leaders in the room to embrace “values-based realism,” which will require a balance of pragmatism and principle and an acceptance that not all of our trading partners will share our values.

In Quebec City, he echoed that theme, issuing a domestic call to Canadian values.

“In a time of rising populism and ethnic nationalism, Canada can show how diversity can be a strength, not a weakness,” he said.

“In a time of democratic decline, we can show how rights can be protected, and equal freedoms endure. In a time of rising walls and thickening borders, we can demonstrate how a country can be both open and secure, welcoming and strong, principled and powerful.”

“There are long periods of history when these values can prosper unchallenged. Ours is not one of them,” said Carney.

Prime Minister Carney is proposing to the world a more complex form of multilateralism that will help to fortify and even advance the interests of middle powers while the great powers clash. In Davos, he blew the doors off the place. The address was a masterclass in statesmanship, not mere politics.

When the House of Commons returns, the opposition parties have critical strategic choices to make about how to engage a prime minister who has attained hero status on the international stage. Politics as usual won’t cut it. Are we about to observe a palpable shift in the tone of parliamentary discourse to match the seriousness of the issues that the world faces?

As Mr. Carney’s Davos speech was being digested around the world, the praise, respect, and admiration that poured in for him transcended national and political lines. Prominent members of the conservative movement in Canada showed support for the prime minister’s remarks on social media and urged the public to listen to his words beyond a partisan lens.

At first glance, this might give the impression that partisan fault lines could fade in favour of more across-the-aisle cooperation in the months ahead, but in all likelihood the opposition parties will be more determined than ever to wear down the reservoir of political capital that Prime Minister Carney is accumulating.

The trick will be for them to figure out how to hold the prime minister to account without going too far with partisan rhetoric. In the broader context of the global chaos that Carney has now been established as the balm for, going after him on his frequent flying could look like something adjacent to treason.

The role of the opposition in parliamentary system like ours is to oppose and, though Prime Minister Carney’s words clearly resonate deeply with many people of different political persuasions, there is room for both counter-argument and criticism.

We have already seen Members of Parliament from both the Conservative and New Democratic Party caucuses take to social media to point out that speeches do not equal action. In other words, Canadians need more.

In all likelihood, the opposition parties will be more determined than ever to wear down the reservoir of political capital that Prime Minister Carney is accumulating.

Prime Minister Carney’s biggest and most consequential challenge, from a domestic politics perspective, will be to show people that his global efforts will bring real change at home in the form of solutions to the affordability and housing crises as well as relief for Canadian workers and key sectors.

To this end, the prime minister returns to the House of Commons with at least two substantial items to put in the win column. The trade deal with China will lead to a drop in tariffs on Canadian canola, crab, peas, and see Canadian beef return to the Chinese market.

Also, Qatar has indicated its intent to make significant investments in Canada, which the prime minister has said will help to ensure that major projects get liftoff here at home. But these things take time, which will create a window for opposition parties to connect with voters on pocketbook issues.

As the months go on, we will likely see the opposition parties continue to push on the workability of values-based realism — domestically and internationally — and question the ethics of deepening our relationship with China given its human rights record and our concerns over electoral interference.

These issues cannot simply be brushed off as moral superiority on Canada’s part. They are real and abiding factors that will likely grow more complex with time. The fact that China has become a more predictable trading partner than the United States is largely because the behaviour and decisions of the U.S. President have become incalculable.

This does not mean that Canada’s relationship with China is truly reliable. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig, who was detained by the Chinese government for almost three years, has warned Canada to use caution when it comes to getting closer with China. In all of the excitement over new possibilities, Kovrig notes that it is crucial to remember the “darker side” of the Chinese state and the “dangers (it) poses.”

Foreign policy will not be the only topic of discussion when the House returns. They still need to pass the budget and, until this happens, significant parts of the Liberal agenda will be in limbo, including the funds for Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) packages that will be a significant tool in shrinking the size of the public service.

Much of what the prime minister can accomplish by way of deals with other countries can happen through his own negotiations with other world leaders without the involvement of the House. In a struggle for relevance and in the spirit of political competition, we might see the opposition attempt to stall progress on the government’s legislative agenda and tell voters that Prime Minister Carney’s foreign policy agenda is doing nothing for Canadians at home.

But the larger issues around global security, Canada’s trade relationships, and the uncertainties in our relationship with the U.S. will remain dominant for the foreseeable future.

And Prime Minister Carney has positioned himself as a leader among leaders on the world stage. To make gains in the polls and become competitive in the next election, whenever that will be, opposition leaders have the daunting task of selling themselves as better suited to lead Canada than Mark Carney.

Policy Columnist Dr. Lori Turnbull is a professor in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University and a senior advisor at the Institute on Governance.