Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney would be an "outstanding addition" to federal politics, and that he has been trying to recruit him to join the political fray for years.
Trudeau was asked about the possibility of replacing Chrystia Freeland by making Carney his new finance minister during a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington.
Rather than deny the possibility, Trudeau is praising Carney and says Canadians need good people to step up in politics right now
But he also says he has full confidence in Freeland, and calls her a close friend, ally and partner.
A source in the Prime Minister's Office, who was not authorized to speak publicly, says the suggestion that Trudeau is thinking about replacing Freeland with Carney is "totally false."
The idea of Carney running for the Liberals has been a constant discussion in Canadian political circles for years and he himself has not ruled out the possibility of one day seeking the Liberal leadership.