Canadian Politics Today

No matter, Carney will be the real finance minister.

I don't think the Finance Minister needs to be the best economist in the country, any more than the Justice Minister needs to be the best judge in the country or the Health Minister needs to be the best doctor in the country. These are primarily management roles.  She'll have the best advisors available (including Carney), and she'll have an army of economists and accountants available.

Also, I object to the idea that we need to have a businessman or a stock-broker or a hedge-fund manager as Finance Minister.  I can see why business executives or stock-brokers or hedge-fund managers would like to see somebody with their perspective running the economy. But policies that are great for big businesses and stock markets and hedge funds aren't necessarily policies that are great for the economy at large.  They're increasingly disconnected from the economic well being of the majority of people.

 -k