Prime Minister Mark Carney offered a candid and unusually relaxed glimpse into his experiences dealing with world leaders during a fireside discussion in Sydney, Australia, where he also drew laughter from the audience after briefly using profanity while recounting a story from his days as a central banker.
Speaking at the Lowy Institute, Carney shared reflections on his interactions with several global leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Carney said that when dealing with Trump it is important to be direct and avoid making public statements that cannot be backed up.
“You don’t want to say anything in public that you can’t back up,” Carney said, adding that conversations with Trump in private tend to be more focused and substantive.
“He is more interested in your viewpoint on various things,” Carney noted, suggesting the U.S. president values frank discussion behind closed doors.
The prime minister also described his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November 2025. According to Carney, Xi spent a significant portion of the meeting discussing how he prefers sensitive issues to be handled in personal conversations rather than public criticism.
Carney said he took that message as a clear signal about how diplomatic discussions should be conducted.
“He didn’t say those words,” Carney told the audience. “But I interpreted it as: don’t lecture me in public. Bring issues to me directly.”
Asked about Modi, Carney described the Indian leader as “unique” and highlighted his work ethic, noting that Modi has reportedly not taken a day off in 25 years. He said the Indian prime minister is strongly focused on delivering results that directly benefit ordinary citizens.
Carney’s remarks came during the final stage of a multi-country Indo-Pacific tour that began with a visit to India, where the two leaders agreed to work toward concluding a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of the year and discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as energy and technology.
The prime minister also emphasized Canada’s approach to the bilateral relationship with India, describing it as a combination of vigilance and engagement when addressing issues such as foreign interference and cross-border security.
The conversation took a lighter turn when the moderator asked whether central bankers or politicians have more fun.
Carney said central bankers likely do, recalling gatherings of the Group of Ten central banks in Basel, Switzerland, home of the Bank for International Settlements.
While describing a dinner that took place during the 2008 financial crisis shortly after he became governor of the Bank of Canada, Carney recounted how a long discussion about wine selections delayed urgent economic discussions as markets were on the brink of turmoil following the collapse of Bear Stearns.
With time running out before Asian markets opened, Carney said he grew increasingly anxious while the dinner host continued describing wine options.
“And he’s like ‘well have this one, but you know the pinot grigio,’ and I’m like f***,” Carney recalled, prompting laughter from the audience.
He added that despite the delayed start, the central bankers eventually managed to address the crisis.
“An hour later all I remember is, man the wine is fantastic,” Carney joked, before noting that the financial decisions were ultimately made.