Mark Carney has been elected to succeed Justin Trudeau as the leader of Canada’s Liberal Party. In his first remarks following the win, Carney immediately targeted US President Donald Trump, vowing to challenge the US leader’s attacks on Canada, particularly in trade.
As the new leader of the Liberal Party, Carney now faces the task of leading the party into the next federal election. He will take over the leadership of the party, but Trudeau will remain prime minister during a transitional period while Carney settles in. The next federal election must be held before October but could happen sooner.
One of Carney’s first challenges will be addressing the strained relations with the United States. Trump has repeatedly blamed Canada for illegal immigration into the US, threatened to make Canada a 51st state, and imposed heavy tariffs on Canadian imports, saying they are necessary to stop fentanyl from crossing the border.
In his first comments as leader, Carney referenced these tensions, stating that his government would focus on building new trade relationships with reliable partners. He also promised to keep retaliatory tariffs on the US “until the Americans show us respect.”
“New threats demand new ideas and a new plan,” Carney said at the Liberal Party convention. He criticized Trump’s actions, saying, “He’s attacking Canadian families, workers, and businesses, and we cannot let him succeed, and we won’t.” Carney added, “In trade as in hockey, Canada will win.”
The ongoing tensions with the US have even sparked reactions in Canadian society, with fans at NHL and NBA games booing the US national anthem in protest.
Carney’s main opponent in the upcoming election is Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has been compared to Trump but has distanced himself from the US president, reiterating at a press conference earlier this week that he is “not MAGA.”
Poilievre recently criticized Carney, a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, claiming that Carney is out of touch with the needs of Canada.
Carney quickly responded, firing back at Poilievre: “Donald Trump thinks he can weaken us with his plan to divide and conquer. Pierre Poilievre’s plan will leave us divided and ready to be conquered.”
As the election draws closer, the Conservative Party’s lead has been shrinking due to strong positions from Carney, Trudeau, and other Liberal figures on the US trade dispute. Trudeau, who has led the country for more than a decade, is stepping down following several political crises, economic dissatisfaction, and the resignation of his deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, who was also running to replace him.
Before stepping down, Trudeau warned that Canada faces a significant challenge from the US. “This is a nation-defining moment,” he said. “And now, as Canadians face from our neighbor an existential challenge, an economic crisis, Canadians are showing exactly what we are made of.”
Carney, who grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, launched his campaign focusing on Canada’s economy, particularly in the areas of clean energy and critical minerals. He has proposed shifting the burden of the carbon tax from consumers to large corporations and offering incentives for businesses to reduce carbon emissions.
Carney has also been outspoken on dealing with the Trump administration. After the US announced tariffs on Canadian goods, Carney supported retaliatory measures that would target the US hard but have minimal impact on Canada.
Following Trump’s accusations about fentanyl trafficking, Carney told reporters last month, “We are a proud, independent nation. We view ourselves as the greatest country on Earth. We have been insulted on multiple occasions by senior members of the administration. We are not going to reciprocate in those insults.”
