Jim Chalmers has called the Canadian prime minister’s strong criticism of Donald Trump’s attack on the global rules-based order a “stunning speech” that is being “widely shared and discussed” within the government.
At this week’s annual meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mark Carney remarked, “we are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.”
Speaking before the US president backed down from his threats to take control of Greenland by any means necessary, Carney urged leaders to acknowledge the “brutal reality where geopolitics among the great powers is not subject to any constraints.”
“Stop invoking rules-based international order as though it still functions as advertised,” he stated.
“Call it what it is: a system of intensifying great power rivalry where the most powerful pursue their interests using economic integration as coercion.”
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As former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull urged Anthony Albanese to reconsider the “terrible” Aukus submarine deal, the treasurer on Thursday morning said Carney had delivered “a stunning speech.”
“I thought it was very impactful, very thoughtful; certainly widely shared and discussed in our government,” Chalmers told ABC radio.
“The powerful point that he made is that a lot of the old certainties are breaking down. We see that in escalating trade tensions, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, discussions in Nato; you see it in behavior on markets.
“So for Australia, and no doubt for Canada, the point that Prime Minister Carney was making is that our interests are best served by cooperation and by managing our differences within international law and international institutions.”
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney speaks during the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, 20 January 2026. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Turnbull, who faced his own challenges with Trump during his time as prime minister, encouraged Albanese to deliver a similar message.
“Anthony Albanese should give the same speech because basically the message is: we will not be bullied; we will maintain our sovereignty. And as a middle power, we will work with other middle powers to stand up to the bully,” he said.
Turnbull told ABC radio that anyone who has been “paying attention to what’s happening in the world” would understand that Canadian PM was right.
“If you are integrated with the United States economically or you are dependent on them, Trump will use that as a vulnerability and exploit it,” Turnbull noted.
At the very start of Trump’s first term, Turnbull famously pushed him during a tense phone call to honor an Obama-era deal regarding refugees detained on Nauru.
“I took my stand when I was PM-standing up to Trump worked very well,” he said.
“The only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them.”
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