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For many Canadians, at this particular point in history, one person comes to mind: Mark Carney. It seems he may have been born in a tailored midnight blue suit with briefcase in hand. Canadians are, perhaps especially now, wary of lightness, and Carney’s weight and those that came with him (the likes of Marc-Andre Blanchard and Michael Sabia) could not have come soon enough. Just past his one-hundred-day mark, Mr. Carney has clearly set a mature, data-driven tone. Our expectations were high and those Carney sets are apparently also very high; the prime minister clearly expects those around him to rise to the occasion. A corporate atmosphere has descended Ottawa at a time when metrics could not matter more. We have a lot of ground to make up, and fast. President Trump is shaking the economic, political and cultural foundations of Canada to see what might emerge. Though some folks wistfully believed in a post national world order, we cannot indulge such naïve and fanciful thinking. For the sake of our children, we need to be clear-eyed about the world we do inhabit, not the one we wish we inhabited.

Carney’s tenor has, up until this point, been maintained in absence of a rival. Now, observers will watch Mr. Poilievre’s return to Ottawa closely. Some may ask what changes Mr. Carney will make in his approach. My guess: absolutely none. The prime minister has changed the tune in Ottawa. It is Mr. Poilievre who is adjusting, as Premier Ford and others have advised. The one thing Mr. Carney is certain not to do, however, is underestimate Mr. Poilievre, who is clearly electorally resilient and one of the most talented political communicators of his vintage. Mr. Carney is certain to stick to his priorities and relentlessly grind away to get the desired outcome. As he should; we are all in this together now. That is not to suggest that Mr. Poilievre is going to sing “Kumbaya.” Nor should he. He is going to be one of the fiercest opposition leaders we’ve ever had. I suspect he’ll put his considerable talent to hold this government to account in the most trying of times. We need to get this right and his constant critique will help get us there. For him, this is the only path to the PMO.

As for the looming challenges facing the new prime minister, the files of import could not be clearer.

Infrastructure

Our entire national infrastructure is designed to service one customer. This needs to change as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Mr. Carney has re-read the business case for LNG and decided that the EU and others are indeed valued buyers. We need deep ports to get our critical minerals, LNG, oil and, eventually, hydrogen to international markets. Mr. Kinew has emerged as a key leader who can do this quickly while deeply respecting the process to include Indigenous leaders as these projects proceed. Churchill will almost certainly serve as a template for further infrastructure requirements, particularly in the Arctic. We needed them decades ago but the second-best day to invest is always today.

What’s more, with the support and partnership of the Inuit population a significant amount of our NATO commitment can be made in plugging a serious gap in NATO defenses: the Canadian arctic waterways. But we need deep water ports and icebreakers to make that a reality. Much rides on the ability of the newly created Major Projects Office, situated in Calgary, to break down overly restrictive regulations and get shovels in the ground (or the sea) as quickly as possible.

Trade

Mr. Carney and Minister Joly have already started tackling trade, mostly with the low-lying fruit: like-minded democracies in Europe (Germany, France, UK), Asia (Japan and South Korea) and our other North American partner, Mexico. Geography and history dictate that America will always be our largest and most important trading partner, but our customer concentration risk has been laid bare. It is clearly time to diversify. Many more partners will be needed, especially if the upcoming CUSMA talks go sideways, which is a clear and present danger. Mr. Carney’s opening salvos to India and China have been well-received but much more outreach is required to bridge the recent divides.

Defense

On defense, we have passed the buck for too long and our NATO allies have become rightfully frustrated. Mr. Carney is moving at breakneck speed (by military procurement standards) at moving the submarine procurement forward. This is most welcome as we need to project force in our northern borders if we stand a chance at defending our sovereignty. I would hope that we could find a way to work with the Ukrainian defense force and jointly develop their drone force in collaboration with our finest minds in AI. This could be a win-win for both countries. It is no coincidence that Mr. Carney put one of his best new MPs, Evan Solomon, into a newly-formed Artificial Intelligence Cabinet position. And while not strictly in the defense portfolio, I would be shocked if the feds didn’t seriously consider a National Wildfire Agency that coordinates the increasingly severe fire season. An out-of-control forest fire can easily cross a provincial boundary, and it is no longer a fair fight for a single province to muster the resources alone. Every summer will be worse than the past for the foreseeable future, so let’s get on with doing the Canadian thing and prepare and share.

Of course, the wild card for Canada and the world is President Trump. Off to a strong start, Mr. Carney’s seasoned presence has ceased the taunts and missives but has thus far had little effect on the tariffs. It is, of course, a priority to deftly manage the American file. Here, we see an unprecedented coming together of Canadian leaders. Mr. Carney wisely continues to tap Mr. LeBlanc as his American Cabinet whisperer. Nothing can be taken for granted here but we can rest assured that we have at least put our best foot forward. Mr. Carney has been wise to play the man, not the puck. A strong personal connection based on mutual respect appears to have been established. Direct texts and calls between the two leaders appear to have softened some hard lines on the trade file. This thawing can lead to mutually beneficial areas of cooperation. What are wins that Canada can offer up to President Trump that also happen to benefit us? Military coordination and cooperation in the Artic is a no-brainer, as is jointly targeting international criminal organizations.

The stakes could not be higher for Canadians. Our country, as we know it, hangs in the balance. Canadians are in no mood for antics or grandstanding. We are not going to hear about Mr. Carney’s socks (spoiler alert: they’re black). It’s as if Moe Berg went for a long walk on Parliament Hill. They all must be adults now.