Former central bank governor, Mark Carney, has been elected by Canadian Liberty Party to replace Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister.
Carney on Sunday, secured 86% of the votes, to beat former Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, in a contest that saw participation from nearly 152,000 party members.
Carney’s victory might not be unconnected to his tough criticisms of Donald Trump’s diplomacy towards Canada.
Since his inauguration as US President on January 20, Trump has pursued sizeable 25% tariffs on Canada. Referring to Trudeau as a “governor”, Trump unveiled an expansionist tendency to make Canada U.S’ 51st state.
He gave the Canada and Mexico a one-month reprieve on goods that are covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), on Friday, Trump threatened to put new tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber products.
Speaking on Sunday, Carney said, “There is someone who is trying to weaken our economy. Donald Trump, as we know, has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell and how we make a living. He’s attacking Canadian families, workers and businesses and we cannot let him succeed and we won’t.”
The 59-year-old and former Goldman Sachs executive, is credited with helping Canada dodge the worst of the 2008 financial crisis when he was governor of the Bank of Canada. Carney is considered by his countrymen the politician most trusted to handle Trump.
“When you think about what’s at stake in these ridiculous, insulting comments of the president, of what we could be, I view this as the sort of Voldemort of comments”, Carney said in response to Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st US state.
Trudeau had in January announced his resignation as the Liberal Party leader, but will remain prime minister until Carney is sworn in. He has led the party since 2013 and the nation since 2015.
“I leave as leader of the Liberal Party with the same belief in hope and hard work as when I started. Hope for this party and for this country, because of the millions of Canadians who prove every day that better is always possible”, Trudeau wrote on X in reaction to Carney’s
