TORONTO (AP) — The next Prime Minister of Canada has helped lead two G7 economies in crisis in the past, and will now try to guide Canada through an imminent trade war provoked by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, a threat of annexation, and expected federal elections.
Former central banker Mark Carney will become prime minister after the ruling Liberal Party chose him as their leader on Sunday in an overwhelming vote with 85.9% support.
Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remains in office until his successor officially takes over in the coming days.
It is widely expected that Carney will call for elections in the coming days or weeks amid Trump’s extensive tariff threats.
“We did not ask for this fight. But Canadians are always ready when someone else takes off the gloves,” Carney said. “Let Americans not be mistaken: in trade, just like in hockey, Canada will win.”
The tough tone of the new Prime Minister of Canada against Trump
Carney stated that Canada will maintain its initial retaliatory tariffs until “the Americans show us respect.”
The future prime minister faced crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada and when in 2013 he became the first non-citizen to lead the Bank of England since its foundation in 1694. His appointment received bipartisan praise in the United Kingdom after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries. He helped manage the worst impacts of Brexit in the UK.
The opposition conservatives were hoping that the elections would focus on Trudeau, whose popularity decreased as food and housing prices rose and immigration soared.
Trump’s trade war and his speech about turning Canada into the 51st state of the US have angered Canadians, who boo the US anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are canceling trips to the south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American products when they can.
The increase in Canadian nationalism has strengthened the chances of the Liberal Party in an upcoming parliamentary election expected in the next few days or weeks, and the Progressive results have improved in opinion polls.
“Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. Think about it. If they succeed, they would destroy our way of life,” Carney said. “In the United States, healthcare is a big business. In Canada, it’s a right.”
Carney stated that the United States is “a melting pot. Canada is a mosaic,” he said. “The United States is not Canada. And Canada will never, ever be part of the United States in any way, shape, or form.”
After decades of bilateral stability, the upcoming vote for Canada’s next leader is expected to now focus on who is better prepared to deal with the United States.
“These are dark days, dark days caused by a country we can no longer trust,” Carney said. “We need to come together in the challenging days ahead.”
Trump has postponed the 25% tariffs on many products from Canada and Mexico for one month, amid widespread fears of a broader trade war. However, he has threatened with other tariffs on steel, aluminum, dairy products, and other goods.
Carney has received one endorsement after another from cabinet ministers and members of Parliament since he declared his candidacy in January. He is a highly educated economist with experience on Wall Street who has long been interested in entering politics and becoming prime minister, but lacks political experience.
Trudeau previously offered to appoint him as Minister of Finance. Carney has said that former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper also offered him the position of Minister of Finance.
Who is Mark Carney?
Carney is a former executive of Goldman Sachs. He worked for 13 years in London, Tokyo, New York, and Toronto before being appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003.
In 2020, he began serving as the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance.
The other main candidate to lead the Liberal Party was former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who received only 8% of the votes. Trudeau told Freeland in December that he no longer wanted her as finance minister, but she could continue as deputy prime minister and the point person for U.S.-Canada relations. Freeland resigned shortly after, publishing a scathing letter about the government that turned out to be the last straw for Trudeau.