Calls for more transparency
Questions swirl over PM’s family ties to Liberal-linked consulting giant Eurasia Group
Hey, Canada – let’s talk about the latest buzz swirling around Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney. If you’ve been scrolling political Twitter (or X, whatever), you’ve probably seen whispers about potential conflicts of interest tied to her job at Eurasia Group, a big-shot New York-based political risk consulting firm. It’s got some folks raising eyebrows, especially with the firm’s connections to old Liberal heavyweights.
Diana, a sharp British-Canadian economist and climate policy whiz, joined Eurasia Group back in 2021 as a senior advisor. She’s all about sustainability, energy transitions, and helping clients navigate that green shift. Cool gig, right? But here’s the kicker: she works closely with Gerald Butts, the vice chairman there. Yeah, that Gerald Butts – Justin Trudeau’s former right-hand man and mastermind behind a bunch of Liberal climate strategies. Butts and Diana team up on climate stuff, and Eurasia has landed some juicy government contracts, like a hefty one worth over $400K from Natural Resources Canada for geopolitical insights. Critics are asking: coincidence, or cozy?
Then there’s the cabinet angle. Evan Solomon, Canada’s shiny new Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, used to be a top exec at Eurasia Group too – he was publisher of their GZERO Media arm until he jumped into politics earlier this year. Solomon’s chats with old colleagues apparently continue, and opposition MPs are demanding tougher ethics rules to keep things separate. Is this just a small world of elite experts, or does it smell like insider overlap?
Look, no one’s accusing anyone of breaking laws – Eurasia says everything’s above board, and Diana’s role is advisory, not decision-making on contracts. Mark Carney’s team brushes it off as standard for high-profile couples in policy circles. But in a country tired of “who you know” politics, it’s fueling calls for more transparency. With Carney pushing big climate and energy policies, these family and friend ties to a Liberal-linked firm have folks wondering if ethics firewalls are strong enough.
At the end of the day, it’s classic Ottawa drama: networks, expertise, and the fine line between them. Will it blow over, or spark real reforms? Stay tuned – politics never sleeps.
