The following article was first published in the By George Journal and the Niagara Independent. Reprinted with the kind permission of the author.
From participation in the official addresses, session debates, side meetings, and media conferences at the United Nations General Assembly this week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed more of his policy priorities than he has shared publicly with Canadians to date. Carney’s comments and actions in New York leave little doubt about the path he intends to lead Canada on in the coming years.
Two world orders were brought to fore at the U.N., and the international assembly began with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stating, “At its best, the United Nations is more than a meeting place, it is a moral compass, a force for peace…a guardian of international law and a lifeline for people in crisis.” Guterres suggested all countries need to commit wholly to strengthening the U.N., “That is the purpose of Agenda 2030, the Pact for the Future, and the UN80 initiative: to renew the foundations of international cooperation, and to ensure that we can deliver for people everywhere.” He claimed, “The world needs our unique legitimacy. Our convening power. Our vision to unite nations, bridge divides and confront the challenges before us.”
“Climate justice” was one policy area where Guterres stressed that the U.N. must lead a cooperative effort “to free us from the tyranny of fossil fuels.” He urged an immediate greater investment in renewables, stronger national climate pledges, and more finance from wealthy nations for vulnerable nations. The U.N. plan is a centrally managed energy transition that is directed by the U.N. It redistributes $1.3 trillion annually in “climate financing” and uses international courts to legally obligate nations. In this way, the U.N. becomes the global energy regulator, treasurer, and adjudicator.
As Guterres was making his case, a social media clip of his address at the 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF) went viral. In the clip he was making an argument for global governance reforms that would centralize decision-making processes with the U.N. for multipolarity, climate change, and geopolitical tensions (as outlined in the U.N.’s 2024 Pact for the Future). In his appeal, Guterres rationalized that national sovereignty is an obstacle to global governance and, although he does not come right out and say it, he suggested a world where a nation’s borders and laws would be subordinate to a supranational framework managed by the U.N.
So, as it was, Guterres’ plea to the assembly audience this past week is well understood and appreciated; it is an echo of what has been argued by the U.N. to its member states for years.
Given Guterres’ accepted worldview, U.S. President Donald Trump’s address proved to be an assault. Trump dismissed the globalists’ vision and highlighted the negative results of the U.N.’s mass migration plan and its climate change agenda. Trump stated, “Both the immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe if something is not done immediately. This cannot be sustained.” He warned that countries with open border policies and those pursuing green energy transition are “going to hell.” Trump observed that migrants had invaded Europe, and because of “political correctness” countries are not correcting their immigration policies. He chided those nations that were forcing green energy schemes, stating that this would cause energy crises and bankrupt nations. Trump emphatically stated, “You need strong borders and traditional energy sources if you are going to be great again.”
Trump concluded his address with a call for strong, independent nation states – a direct challenge to Guterres’s globalist world order. It was a moving appeal for proud people protecting their sovereign nation:
“Each of us inherits the deeds and the myths, the triumphs, the legacies of our own heroes and founders who so bravely showed us the way. Our ancestors gave everything for homelands that they defended with pride, with sweat, with blood, with life, and with death. Now the righteous task of protecting the nations that they built belongs to each and every one of us. So together, let us uphold our sacred duty to our people and to our citizens. Let us protect their borders; ensure their safety; preserve their cultures, treasure, and traditions; and fight, fight, fight for their precious dreams and their cherished freedoms.”
Carney entered this combative political battlefield, and with his actions and public statements he revealed his ideological biases and intent to steer Canada away from its traditional international affairs policy positions. Carney made it evident he will chart a new course for Canadian foreign affairs, as it appears, less aligned with the U.S. and more coordinated with the European Union and, particularly France and the U.K. He also made it obvious that he would commit Canada to the U.N.’s agendas.
Carney’s time in New York was most revealing. Consider all that transpired through the 72 hours.
- Carney’s first stop on Sunday (presumably after he visited his wife and daughter) was to meet with Guterres, where he signed the guest book, “What an honor to be here with my friend, boss, and hero always!” Recall that Guterres appointed Carney as his special envoy to lead the U.N.’s climate action and finance post.
- Carney had made a public announcement Sunday that “Canada will recognize a Palestinian state.” He intended to use the U.N. meetings to broadcast his unconditional support for Palestine with world leaders – a declaration that abandoned Canada’s longstanding policy for peace in the Middle East. On Tuesday he contributed another $47 million in new funding to Gaza and committed Canadian troops to a future “stabilization force” to keep peace in Gaza.
- Carney had coordinated these statements on Palestine with the U.N. and allies U.K., France, and Australia (likely with every expectation that it would frustrate the Americans who were signaling the president was pursuing peace talks between Hamas and Israel). In response to the joint statements, the U.S. State Department said in an email that its “focus remains on serious diplomacy, not performative gestures… Our priorities are clear: the release of the hostages, the security of Israel, and peace and prosperity for the entire region that is only possible free from Hamas. We will continue working with our allies and partners towards those goals.”
- On Monday, Carney spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations and in a candid moment he made the statement that Canada had more in common with China than the U.S. with respect to the countries’ concerns for the global climate crisis. He was enthusiastic with his praise of communist China, stating, “In my experience with China, they are, among other things, very sincere and engaged on climate. This is a country run by engineers. This is a country that understands a lot of the engineering solutions to issues around emissions.” He went on to say his administration could collaborate with China on climate policy and that Canada would benefit from closer ties with Beijing. One closed door meeting he held was with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who would later report out that Carney raised the possibility of expanding cooperation in “energy, green development, tourism, and other fields.”
- The Carney government has taken up the Trudeau government’s favourable trade and foreign policy with communist China – a position that is offside with the American administration. For instance, the Carney government has already provided $1 billion financial support for a state-owned Chinese shipbuilder to win a contract for B.C. ferries from Canadian shipbuilders, sacrificed the westerner Canadian canola industry in trade disputes with China, denied an issue with fentanyl imports from China, and floated the idea that Canada is ready to import China-manufactured EVs to meet the consumer demand in the next few years.
- Carney spoke at a U.N. meeting about international financing relating to his old responsibilities heading up the WEF’s financial alliance for net-zero initiatives (GFANZ). He saluted the leadership of the World Bank and IMF and set out a four point plan for countries to consider. 1) “Catalyzing financial instruments using risk mitigation tools to better allocate risk between public and private sectors” (referencing the work of World Bank); 2) “Recycling the balance sheets of international financial institutions so that they can catalyze new lending”; 3) Ensure shareholders “look at key performance indicators that are directly tied to sustainable development goals” (of the U.N.’s Agenda 2030) – and he stated “work needs to be completed on cross border carbon market”; and 4) Support the G7 initiative SCALE, which is scaling private and public capital for sustainable development – measured in billions of dollars. Carney would post a message on X later in the day that countries have “a transformative opportunity to build a fairer and more resilient global financial system.” (His presentation in advancing this global financial plan appeared as if he never left his WEF role.)
In Canadian government-sponsored legacy media, Carney’s few days at the U.N. was presented as an unqualified success. His stage-managed document signing ceremony and his choreographed public statements with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron about support for Palestine gave Carney a gravitas that belied the remarkable foreign policy break he made with Canada’s past policy – and with our traditional allies of Israel and the U.S. CBC News and the like simply regurgitated Carney’s talking points on this, and with all of his various appearances and statements in New York.
In those 72 hours at the U.N., Carney has finally shared details of the country’s foreign policy direction. It is disturbing that this is done without any national discussion and without parliamentary debate. However, Carney has confirmed he will move the country away from the U.S. and towards a new set of foreign policies aligned with a select group of leaders – at the E.U., U.K., France, and with communist China. He is steering the country into the orbits of the U.N. and WEF, reaffirming those Trudeau government commitments on energy transition from fossil fuels and global financing of green initiatives. It has all become clearer Carney is embracing Guterres’ world view and Canadians are along for the ride as he establishes the country’s newfound place in the world.
Chris George is an advocate, government relations advisor, and writer/copy editor. As president of a public relations firm established in 1994, Chris provides discreet counsel, tactical advice and management skills to CEOs/Presidents, Boards of Directors and senior executive teams in executing public and government relations campaigns and managing issues. Prior to this PR/GR career, Chris spent seven years on Parliament Hill on staffs of Cabinet Ministers and MPs. He has served in senior campaign positions for electoral and advocacy campaigns at every level of government. Today, Chris resides in Almonte, Ontario where he and his wife manage www.cgacommunications.com. Contact Chris at chrisg.george@gmail.com.