Photo credit: France24
Mark Carney, the former central banker who oversaw the response to financial crises in North America and the UK, will become the next prime minister of Canada after winning the race to lead the country’s federal Liberal party.
The Guardian reports that Carney will become prime minister while Canada is locked in a trade war with the US which used to be its closest ally and largest trading partner. In response to President Donald Trump’s statement that Canada should be the 51st American state, Canney said: “America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form.”
And in response to the trade war, he said that while Canada had hot asked for the fight, “We will win.”
Before the announcement, outgoing prime minister, Justin Trudeau had told the crowd by telling Liberals he was “damned proud” of his government’s legacy. He however warned that, “This is a nation-defining moment. Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given.”
Carney secured 85.9% of the vote beating the former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, the former government house leader Karina Gould and the former member of parliament Frank Baylis.
In recent weeks, the Liberal Party has reversed its political freefall to such a degree that a previously Conservative Party majority in the next general election looks increasingly unlikely.
The shift in the polls has been so dramatic that pollsters have struggled to find any historical precedent.
The move in polls is partly explained by Trump’s repeated threats to annexe Canada. In the polling, Carney is widely viewed as the most trusted federal leader to navigate the current trade crisis because of his extensive economic background.
He said, “My government will keep the tariffs on until the Americans show us respect.”
