Mark Carney has been elected leader of Canada’s Liberal Party after a months-long, high-stakes race to replace Justin Trudeau.
Carney is now expected to lead the party into the next federal election, which must take place before October. However, he faces strong competition from the Conservative Party, which currently leads in the polls.
While Carney will immediately assume leadership of the Liberal Party, Trudeau will remain Canada’s prime minister for an unspecified transition period.
Clashing with Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently criticized Canada, blaming it for illegal immigration into the U.S., threatening to make it the 51st state, and imposing steep tariffs on Canadian imports—measures the White House claims are necessary to curb the flow of fentanyl across the border.
In his first remarks following the leadership vote, Carney addressed the rising tensions with the U.S., vowing to forge new trade relationships with “reliable partners” and maintain retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. “until the Americans show us respect.”
“New threats demand new ideas and a new plan,” Carney told the Liberal Party convention. “Canada will never be part of the U.S.”
Slamming Trump’s tariff policies, Carney declared: “He’s attacking Canadian families, workers, and businesses. We cannot let him succeed—and we won’t.”
“In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win,” he added.
Tensions Affect Canadian Society
The strained U.S.-Canada relations have sparked reactions across Canadian society. At NHL and NBA games in Canada, fans have even booed the U.S. national anthem in protest.
Carney’s main political rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, has previously been compared to Trump. However, he has recently sought to distance himself from the U.S. leader, declaring at a press conference that he is “not MAGA.”
At a rally ahead of the Liberal leadership vote, Poilievre took aim at Carney, portraying him as incapable of standing up to Trump.
“Working for Trudeau, Carney made Canada weaker and poorer. Working for himself, Carney made the United States richer and stronger,” Poilievre said.
Carney fired back at his opponent, warning that Poilievre’s policies would leave Canada vulnerable.
“Donald Trump thinks he can weaken us by dividing and conquering,” Carney said. “Pierre Poilievre’s plan will leave us divided—and ready to be conquered.”
Trudeau’s Parting Words
In one of his final speeches as Liberal Party leader, Trudeau cautioned that Canada is facing an “existential challenge” from the U.S.
“This is a nation-defining moment,” Trudeau told the Liberal convention. “As Canadians face an economic crisis and pressure from our neighbor, we are proving exactly what we are made of.”
