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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing allegations of plagiarism related to his Oxford University thesis on the economy. The accusations come just weeks before voters head to the polls to determine whether he will continue leading the country.
The claims were made by three academics who reviewed Carney’s 1995 doctoral thesis, “The Dynamic Advantage of Competition.” The conservative newspaper, the National Post, reported that the reviewers identified 10 instances of what they described as “potential” plagiarism.
The Allegations and Reactions
One of the academics, Geoffrey Sigalet, a member of the University of British Columbia’s student disciplinary committee, expressed concern over Carney’s use of uncredited material.
“He’s just directly repeating without quotations. That’s what we call plagiarism,” Sigalet told the National Post.
Another academic reportedly agreed with Sigalet but chose to remain anonymous, citing fears of possible legal repercussions from Carney.
At the center of the controversy is Carney’s frequent reference to a 1990 book, The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Critics argue that he did not adequately credit the source and, in some cases, used exact phrases and full sentences without proper attribution. Additionally, sections of three academic articles appear to have been incorporated into his work without clear citations.
Carney’s Defenders Push Back
Carney’s thesis supervisor, Margaret Meyer, an economics fellow at Oxford’s Nuffield College, dismissed the allegations.
“I believe you are mischaracterizing this work,” Meyer told the National Post.
“As an academic of nearly 40 years, I see no evidence of plagiarism in the thesis you cited, nor any unusual academic practices,” she stated firmly.
Meyer further defended Carney’s writing, arguing that overlap in language is common when frequently referencing a source in academic research.
A spokesperson for the Liberal campaign, Isabella Orozco-Madison, also rejected the claims, calling them an “irresponsible mischaracterization” of Carney’s work. So far, Carney’s office has not issued an official statement on the matter.
Political Implications Amid International Tensions
Carney, originally from Edmonton, Alberta, holds degrees in economics from Harvard and Oxford. He was sworn in as prime minister earlier this month, replacing Justin Trudeau amid growing economic and trade tensions with the United States.
Despite previous hostilities between former Prime Minister Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump, Carney and Trump recently had their first phone conversation. Trump characterized the discussion as “productive” and even softened his stance on Canada, stating:
“I think things will work out very well between Canada and the United States.”
As Carney navigates this new role, the plagiarism allegations have added an unexpected layer of scrutiny. Whether they will impact his political future remains to be seen.
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