Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is under scrutiny following allegations of plagiarism in his 1995 doctoral thesis at Oxford University, as he prepares to seek re-election on April 29. The National Post, after reviewing his thesis titled “The Dynamic Advantage of Competition” along with three university experts, found at least 10 instances where Carney possibly plagiarized content from various sources without the requisite credit. These experts include Geoffrey Sigalet from the University of British Columbia, who noted instances of full quotes, paraphrased ideas, and slightly modified sentences lacking proper citations.
Carney’s campaign responded by releasing a statement from his former Oxford supervisor, Margaret Meyer, who dismissed the allegations, stating that the thesis was well-researched and approved by her. Meyer also mentioned that overlapping language is typical when regularly referencing sources.
Oxford University defines plagiarism as presenting someone else’s work or ideas as one’s own without full acknowledgment—a criterion the anonymous professor believes Carney’s thesis meets. Despite this, Carney’s campaign spokesperson, Isabella Orozco-Madison, labeled the accusations as an “irresponsible mischaracterization” of his work.
Among the notable examples highlighted in The National Post’s report is a passage from economist Michael E. Porter’s 1990 book, “The Competitive Advantage of Nations,” which Carney closely copied without proper citation. Other instances involved copying from Jeremy C. Stein’s 1989 article in The Quarterly Journal of Economics and H.S. Shin’s 1994 article in The RAND Journal of Economics.
The potential plagiarism is described as being widespread throughout the thesis, with even minor changes in wording being classified as plagiarism. Oxford University warns that plagiarism can lead to severe penalties, including expulsion, even when rewording requires citation. Carney, known for his distinguished career encompassing roles at Goldman Sachs and Brookfield Asset Management, has faced criticism for his perceived globalist tendencies and elite background.
The allegations come amidst Carney’s candidacy and ongoing tariff disputes between Canada and the U.S.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/federal-election-looming-liberal-canadian-pm-accused-plagiarism-studying-oxford-report
