“Prime Minister Carney still calls me Hammer”: Meet David Lametti, Canada’s envoy to the United Nations
Lametti is a Liberal vet and one of Mark Carney’s oldest friends. How a son of Port Colborne found himself repping Canada on the biggest stage
Let’s start by going way back. You co-captained Oxford’s hockey team with Prime Minister Carney in the ’90s, and your nickname was “Hammer.” Were you an enforcer? I was a defenceman. It was my job to clear out the front of the net. I had to adapt to the UK’s stricter officiating. The guys in the dressing room gave me the nickname Hammer. The prime minister still calls me that.
For readers who are unfamiliar with your background, what’s the 30-second bio? And more importantly, how does it equip you to be Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations? I was born in Port Colborne to Italian immigrants. I got a great education at U of T and McGill and then at Yale and Oxford. I was a law professor. Since 2015, I’ve been an MP, a parliamentary secretary and a cabinet minister. I bring a faith in multilateralism and in people’s ability to serve.
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You mentioned U of T, where you earned a bachelor of arts in the ’80s. The stereotype back then was that Toronto was boring. Was it? As a kid from a small town, I didn’t find it boring at all. It was really my time at U of T and McGill that shaped the way I think about the world.
Was there a particular lecturer or book that blew your mind? Karl Polanyi’s The Great Transformation made a big impact on me. It questions the individual’s relation to the economy and to society.
What does your job look like day to day? My team and I represent Canada in a number of different fora, ranging from the General Assembly to various informal groups of countries. For example, I recently hosted the United States to discuss Haiti: our efforts to expand America’s police mission there and to suppress gang violence. Haitian Canadians want peace. We’re trying to advance the common good. That’s a cliché, but it’s an important cliché.
The UN feels far removed from everyday life. How does your work tangibly benefit Canadians? We’ve sent good people to the UN—Bob Rae, Stephen Lewis, Louise Fréchette—people who, with hard work, intelligence, pragmatism and collaboration, have given Canada strong brand recognition.
In Donald Trump’s September speech before the General Assembly, he said that the UN is full of “empty words” and is incapable of stopping wars. Do you disagree? If I didn’t disagree, I wouldn’t be here. The UN is not perfect. It needs to be more efficient. But it’s completely and utterly necessary. Does it concern itself too much with rhetoric? Of course. I’ve seen it in Parliament too. But I’m committed to working from within to make it better.
How hard is it to sit through members’ grandstanding? When Russia speaks, whether on Ukraine or other things, much of it is disingenuous. I’m not telling tales out of school here. It’s hard to listen to. On the other hand, nobody has a monopoly on hypocrisy.
What’s the least glamorous thing you’ve experienced? The UN is in a budgetary crisis caused by the United States not paying its dues and by China paying late. My department, Global Affairs Canada, has also made budget cuts, just like the rest of the federal government. Governance is stressful and not glamorous. It’s just hard.
Where would you most like to make a difference? It’s still early. My predecessors all told me, “Take six months to get to know the landscape and your counterparts. Then see where you can have an impact.” I bring some background in AI governance. But ask me in a few months and I’ll have a better idea.
You’ve posted a lot about vinyl and live music. Do you still check out Toronto shows when you’re in town? I do. Some of my first big concerts were the Beach Boys, the Who, the Rolling Stones. I attended the Hip’s final Toronto concert, in 2016. But you need to put in the time if you want to know the up-and-coming bands. I hope to do that while I’m in New York.
Have you ever been recognized at concerts? I’m happily not on the radar. That’s probably the way it ought to be.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
