Former central banker Mark Carney has won the race to lead Canada’s ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister, official results showed on Sunday. Carney, 59, secured 86% of votes to defeat former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a contest where nearly 152,000 party members participated.
Carney takes office at a challenging time as Canada faces a trade war with the US under President Donald Trump. “There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy,” Carney said about Trump, drawing loud boos at the party gathering. “He’s attacking Canadian workers, families and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.” He added, “This won’t be business as usual. We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible.”
Read more: How Canada’s Voters Turned on Justin Trudeau
Trudeau announced in January that he would step down after more than nine years in power. “Make no mistake, this is a nation-defining moment. Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given,” Trudeau said. Carney, with no prior political experience, argued that his background as a central banker in Canada and England made him the best choice to lead trade negotiations with Trump. He also stated, “My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect.”
Polls show that neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, would win a majority government. However, Carney’s leadership has improved the party’s position. Two Liberal sources said he might call an election soon. Although he can serve as prime minister without a seat in the House of Commons, tradition suggests he should secure one quickly. Meanwhile, Poilievre has intensified his attacks, as Liberals compare him to Trump in a new campaign ad.
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