Allegations have surfaced against Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney regarding possible plagiarism in his 1995 doctoral thesis at Oxford University. Carney, who is currently seeking re-election as PM, faces scrutiny as Canadian voters prepare to head to the polls on April 28.
A review of Carney’s thesis, titled “The Dynamic Advantage of Competition,” by three university experts found multiple instances of potential plagiarism, including direct quotes, paraphrased ideas, and modified sentences without appropriate credit.
“He’s just directly repeating without quotations. That’s plagiarism,” said Geoffrey Sigalet, a professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in academic misconduct cases.
Carney’s campaign responded to the allegations, citing a statement from his former Oxford supervisor, Margaret Meyer, who refuted the claims of plagiarism.
Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, speaks during a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Thursday. (David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Meyer also mentioned that overlapping language can occur when sources are frequently referenced.
Oxford University defines plagiarism as “presenting work or ideas from another source as your own without full acknowledgment.” The National Post reported that Carney’s thesis aligns with this definition, according to an anonymous professor.
Carney’s campaign spokesperson, Isabella Orozco-Madison, dismissed the accusations as an “irresponsible mischaracterization” of his work.
One example from the National Post’s report illustrates Carney replicating a passage from economist Michael E. Porter’s book without sufficient attribution. This pattern reportedly extends to other sources like Jeremy C. Stein and H.S. Shin.
Liberal Party leader Mark Carney gives a speech to his supporters during a rally at the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal on Thursday. (Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images)
The perceived plagiarism is dispersed throughout the dissertation and includes minor language modifications without proper citation.
Oxford University emphasizes the seriousness of plagiarism and the potential consequences, which may include expulsion. “Even when you reword something, you still need to cite the source,” Sigalet highlighted.
Carney, a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has faced criticism for his background and globalist inclinations.
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Mark Carney. (Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images)
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Past instances have shown that plagiarism allegations can result in resignations and revoked degrees for public figures like Harvard University’s former president Claudine Gay.
Carney has been vocal in his criticism of President Trump amid trade disputes between Canada and the U.S.
The National Post contributed to this report.
