Susan Delacourt: Yes, that’s Stephen Harper as Mark Carney’s wingman. Here’s why it works for both of them - Toronto Star

The two men have a long history, but until this week, that relationship was not something that Carney openly boasted about.

Former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper speaks during the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.

Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on X: @susandelacourt

Mark Carney and Stephen Harper are avid hockey fans. But to see them serving as wingmen for Team Canada this week was still an extraordinary sight — maybe even a historic one.

Intended as a show of cross-partisanship, Harper’s marquee presence at Carney’s big investment summit in Toronto was the most vivid display of how far the current prime minister is willing to go to mix his Liberal red colours with some deep Conservative blue.

Former prime minister Jean Chrétien was also prominent at the summit, which was less surprising. Yet it was still notable how Carney leaned on these two, the most conservative of the living former prime ministers, who have both been on the speakers’ circuit for a while now.