Sen. Peter Boehm, a former diplomat, told CBC’s Power & Politics that Carney’s remarks were the “most consequential” delivered by a Canadian prime minister since Louis St. Laurent — minister responsible external affairs at the time — laid out Canada’s post-Second World War foreign policy direction in 1947.

Louise Blais, a former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, told Power & Politics that she thinks Carney is attempting to position Canada as a leader among the middle powers.