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The visit came amid an intensive courtship, as prominent current and former Liberal party stalwarts urged the governor, for the better part of a year, to launch a bid for the party leadership. The speculation only ended when the British job was announced last month. Current leader Bob Rae has also had conversations with Mr. Carney about recruiting him to the party, but not necessarily as leader.

He has brought the impartiality of the bank into question and the policy says that that is a violation

A New Democratic Party spokesman said Monday the party considers the Bank of Canada governor to be a non-partisan position and would never undermine that by inviting the governor to stay at an MP’s house.

Duff Conacher, founding director of Democracy Watch and adjunct professor of law at the University of Toronto, said Mr. Carney had crossed a line.

“He has brought the impartiality of the bank into question and the policy says that that is a violation,” Mr. Conacher said.

“Given that Brison is the Liberal finance critic and the timing that we now know — that there was an act of appeal from Liberals to him — I think it crosses the line because it doesn’t avoid the appearance of impropriety.”

Derek Fildebrandt, a director at the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, criticized the governor’s trip, saying Mr. Carney not only has a responsibility to stay out of the political fray, but also to avoid any perception of impartiality.

“At the very least, it’s horrible optics and he should have known that,” he said.

He has said many times he did not contemplate [a Liberal leadership bid], he is clearly not running for political office, and he has been clear that he took no action in that regard

“Who the governor spends his personal vacation with is not anybody’s business, but he must’ve been aware that the optics would be less than ideal.”