Mark Carney, the former governor of both Bank of England and Bank of Canada, will become the next prime minister of Canada after winning the race to lead the country’s federal Liberal party.
Carney, during his campaign, stook up firmly against Trump's threat of annexation of Canada and making it the 51st state of the US.
Carney, 59, takes on the role as Canada is locked in a potentially catastrophic trade war with the US, long its closest ally and largest trading partner, a Guardian newspaper report said. Last week Donald Trump announced a 25% tax on all Canadian goods. The tariffs have the power to push Canada’s fragile economy in a recession.
“America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form,” Carney told supporters, laying bare the existential crisis that has outraged Canadians, riven the longstanding relationship with the US, and promises to be the overarching theme in his tenure as prime minister. “My government will keep the tariffs on until the Americans show us respect,” said Carney.
Before the announcement of Carney's election, the outgoing prime minister, Justin Trudeau, electrified the crowd by telling Liberals he was “damn proud” of his government’s legacy.
But he warned of dangerous time for the country. “This is a nation-defining moment. Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given,” he told supporters.
It is unclear when Carney, who was governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, will assume office. Trudeau and the new Liberal leader are expected to hold conversations in the coming days to determine the outgoing prime minister’s final day in office.
With 85.9% of the vote, Carney beat the former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, the former government house leader Karina Gould and the former member of parliament Frank Baylis.
Carney has followed an unusual path to power: he will be only the second prime minister in Canadian history without a seat in the House of Commons. While no rule bars this, convention suggests Carney will need to quickly announce plans to run for a federal seat.
He will also be the first Liberal prime minister from western Canada, a valuable identity in a country that is politically divided along geographical lines.
In recent weeks, the Liberal party has reversed its political freefall, sharply rebounding to such a degree that a previously expected Conservative majority in the next general election looks increasingly unlikely.
Canada’s Liberal party was left for dead, but Trump might have just given it a second chance. The shift in the opinion polls has been so dramatic that pollsters have struggled to find any historical precedent.
The move in the polls is, in part, explained by repeated threats by Trump to annex Canada. In polling, Carney is widely viewed as the most trusted federal leader to navigate the current trade crisis because of his extensive economic background.
“My government will keep the tariffs on until the Americans show us respect,” said Carney.
