Canada’s Liberal Party decisively elected Mark Carney as the country’s next prime minister on Sunday, with the former central banker warning of “dark days” ahead due to U.S. policies under President Donald Trump.
Carney, 59, wasted no time in criticizing Trump, accusing him of “attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses.”
“We cannot let him succeed,” Carney declared, as he prepared to take over from outgoing Liberal leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the coming days. However, his tenure may be short-lived, as Canada must hold elections by October, with the possibility of an early vote within weeks. Current polls suggest a close race, with the opposition Conservatives holding a slight edge.
In his victory speech before an enthusiastic crowd of Liberal supporters in Ottawa, Carney warned that the U.S. under Trump was seeking to dominate Canada.
“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” he said. “These are dark days, brought on by a country we can no longer trust.”
Carney, who previously led both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, secured a landslide victory, winning 85.9% of the nearly 152,000 votes cast. His main challenger, former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, received just 8% of the vote.
Carney campaigned on a platform of standing up to Trump, who has openly discussed annexing Canada and disrupted trade with erratic tariff policies.
In his farewell address before the leadership vote, Trudeau warned, “Canadians face an existential challenge from our neighbor.”
‘Most Serious Crisis’
Celebrating Carney’s victory in Ottawa, party loyalist Cory Stevenson said, “The Liberal Party has the wind in its sails. We chose the person best equipped to face (Conservative leader) Pierre Poilievre in the next election and take on Donald Trump.”
Carney has emphasized his economic expertise as a key asset in countering Trump. He portrayed himself as a crisis-tested leader, having guided the Bank of Canada through the 2008-09 financial crisis and the Bank of England through the post-Brexit turmoil.
Recent polling by Angus Reid showed that Canadians view Carney as the strongest candidate to handle Trump, with 43% trusting him most on the issue, compared to 34% for Poilievre.
Before Trudeau announced his resignation in January, the Liberals were facing the possibility of a major electoral defeat. However, the leadership change and concerns over Trump’s policies have significantly tightened the race.
“I think we were written off four months ago, and now we’re right back where we should be,” said former MP Frank Baylis, who also ran for the Liberal leadership.
Unproven Political Skills
Carney, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker, made a fortune in finance before transitioning to public service. Since leaving the Bank of England in 2020, he has worked as a UN climate envoy and held private sector roles.
However, he has never held elected office, and analysts warn that his lack of political experience could be a liability against the well-prepared Conservative campaign. The opposition has already launched attack ads accusing him of flip-flopping on key issues and exaggerating his credentials.
“It’s absolutely a risk. He is unproven in the crucible of an election,” said Cameron Anderson, a political scientist at Western University in Ontario.
Still, Anderson noted that Carney’s victory speech, with its firm anti-Trump stance, “is what Canadians want to hear from their leaders.”
“The average Canadian sees this as an existential moment,” he added.
