What has Mark Carney accomplished as PM

1. A swift rise to power and the parliamentary reality

Carney’s premiership began on March 14, 2025 after he was sworn in as leader of the Liberals and then advised dissolution of Parliament that led to the 2025 election; the Liberals won 169 seats and formed a minority government, so his room for unilateral action is politically constrained ^[1]. Observers note his political turnaround from being well behind in polls to leading the Liberals back into office — a transformation described as “little precedent” — but the minority status makes budget and confidence votes pivotal ^{[1] [8]}.

2. Housing: “Build, baby, build” and measurable targets

Carney’s headline domestic pledge is an aggressive housing push: he publicly set a target of doubling building to reach 500,000 new homes a year and has promoted modular/prefabricated housing while promising measures to make mortgages more affordable, revive a 1970s tax break for rental investors, speed approvals and cut municipal development charges ^{[2] [5]}. Press coverage and the Globe and Mail’s 100‑day review indicate some steps underway, but that other housing components remained unclear in early implementation ^[5].

3. Nation‑building projects, resource focus and controversy

Carney has positioned a C$56 billion slate of “nation‑building” projects — focused on energy, mines, LNG and hydro — as transformational investments to reorient Canada’s economy and reduce dependence on the U.S. market ^{[3] [6]}. He has recommended at least seven major projects for fast‑tracking through the government’s Major Projects Office; none had yet received full national‑interest designations that would grant special regulatory exemptions, and critics worry the program privileges resource expansion over day‑to‑day services ^{[6] [3]}.

4. Energy strategy: pipelines, carbon capture and export diversification

Carney has voiced support for a new West Coast oil pipeline and a proposed $16.5‑billion carbon capture system for the Athabasca oil sands, and he framed pipeline expansion as a way to reduce price discounts on Canadian oil by opening Asian markets ^{[7] [9]}. His government is also pursuing transmission interties to enable low‑carbon power for energy and industrial projects, a move supporters say will help power new industrial clusters while critics and regional leaders (noted by reporting) raise environmental and Indigenous consent concerns ^{[10] [9]}.

5. Budget and economic framing: big spending with big promises

Carney introduced his first federal budget, described as a blueprint to make Canada the “strongest economy in the G7,” including C$280 billion in spending intended to attract C$1 trillion in private investment over five years and to back businesses seeking new export markets ^[4]. Critics such as the Fraser Institute have questioned the fiscal math and urged scrutiny of deficit and spending targets, noting projected deficits and the challenge of balancing budgets amid new defense and program pressures ^{[11] [4]}.

6. International posture and selective engagement

Carney’s early foreign visits and summit roles — including concluding the 2025 G7 leaders’ summit and trips to France and the UK — signal a more outward posture to strengthen security and diversify markets ^{[12] [1]}. He has also faced criticism for skipping certain climate fora, which raised questions about the coherence between domestic resource pushes and global climate diplomacy ^[8].

7. What the sources do not yet say

Available sources do not mention comprehensive program‑by‑program results (e.g., exact number of houses built to date), long‑term outcomes of the fast‑tracked projects, or final legal designations for the C$56bn slate — they describe intentions, proposals and early steps but not finished results ^{[2] [6] [3]}. They also do not provide a full accounting of how tax reversals and promised middle‑class cuts noted on campaign pages have been legislated or implemented ^[7].

Conclusion — competing narratives and the next tests

Reporting paints a leader who has moved quickly from central banker to activist prime minister: proponents highlight ambitious nation‑building and export diversification; critics warn of fiscal risk and environmental tradeoffs ^{[3] [11]}. The jury in current reporting remains focused on whether his housing targets, budget promises and project fast‑tracks will translate into delivered homes, balanced books and viable, timely projects within the constraints of a minority Parliament ^{[2] [4] [6]}.