Mark Carney’s ‘Canada Strong’ brand may be waning: Why brand politics can be so perilous

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at a news conference as Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham looks on following the announcement of a new hydro, wind and transmission projects, in St. John’s, N.L., on Aug. 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly Why is Mark Carney’s ‘Canada Strong’ brand waning? Because brand politics is perilous Published: August 19, 2026 11.17am EDT Updated: August 19, 2026 11.37am EDT Share article Print article In March 2025, a month before Canada’s federal election, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Mark Carney of plagiarizing his policy ideas. Sure enough, Carney soon became a Liberal prime minister Conservatives could like, implementing Conservative policies while reportedly undoing Justin Trudeau’s legacy. The Carney government has borrowed another page from the Conservative playbook: the brand politics strategy of Stephen Harper’s government from 2006 to 2015. Domestic brand politics strategies link political party agendas to national identity through rhetorical, visual and symbolic means. They help create the impression that there’s little difference between the governing party, the state and Canadian identity. Similar strategies In 2007, I argued that Harper’s Conservatives wanted to remind Canadians that a non-Liberal regime was in power following more than a decade of Liberal rule. Public servants were instructed to use “Canada’s new government” in place of the “government of Canada.” A scientist was fired (and later reinstated) for mocking the line. Public servants were later told to use “Harper government,” reflecting the so-called Harperization of government communications. Stephen Harper delivers a speech to supporters during a campaign stop during the 2011 election in Niagara Falls, Ont. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Carney became prime minister almost 18 months ago, yet news releases from his office still refer to “Canada’s new government.” The phrase’s meaning has evolved from “not Liberal” in the Harper era to “not Trudeau Liberal” in the Carney era, as Carney cannot seem to erase his predecessor’s memory fast enough. This is reminiscent of Paul Martin Jr.’s less successful attempt to distinguish his brand from his Liberal predecessor Jean Chrétien’s. From colours to slogans Harper government websites featured a shade of blue similar to the blue used by the Conservative Party, minimizing Canada’s official red in the Federal Identity Program. In 2008, the “True North Strong and…