MARK Carney has been announced as Canada’s new Prime Minister after Justin Trudeau stepped down from the role.
Liberal Party members confirmed the 59-year-old’s new position on Sunday night at the Rogers Center in Ottawa.
Carney vowed to his party’s faithful that Canada will never be part of America in “any way, shape or form”.
The rebuke of neighbouring President Donald Trump could set the important North American relationship off on a rocky footing with the American also slapping tariffs on Canada.
Carney said: “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.
“The Americans should make no mistake – in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.
“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country.”
Addressing Trump’s tariff threats, Carney said: “We cannot let him succeed and we won’t.”
Carney saw off rival Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s former deputy prime minister, and won 85.9 per cent of the total votes.
His position at the helm as the governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England during the 2008 financial crisis and the fallout from the 2016 Brexit vote made him a popular choice.
The political novice was the front-runner for the role after Trudeau announced his resignation in January as he faced a crushing election defeat.
He received a slew of support including endorsements from the majority of Trudeau’s cabinet.
Carney, a centrist, will be taking over as PM at a turbulent time as Canada faces tariff and annexing threats from US President Donald Trump, which saw Trudeau hold back tears in his final days.
Meanwhile, Trudeau spoke his final words as the leader of Canada.
In front of hundreds of his party members, he opened his speech and said: “I’m damn proud of what we’ve done over these past 10 years. But tonight is about our future as a party, as a country.”
He added: “Your country needs you maybe more than ever. And I have no doubt that you will answer the call, because you’ve done it before. Liberals will meet this moment.
He describes it as a “nation-defining moment”, adding: “Democracy is not a given, freedom is not a given, even Canada is not a given.”
The process to choose Canada’s next PM began on February 26 with the almost 400,000 Liberal Party members voting online through a verified process and ranking their favourites.
The new leader is expected to trigger an election shortly afterward. Either the new Liberal party leader will call one, or the opposition parties in Parliament could force one with a no-confidence vote later this month.
On Tuesday, the US slapped a brutal 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from Canada, and despite a softening from Trump, the damage has been done.
This is a challenge, Carney says he is more than prepared to take on.
At his final rally on Friday, the former governor slammed Trump, accusing him of “attacking” Canada.
On multiple occasions, Trump said that it would be a “great idea” to make Canada the 51st state of the US.
Carney said: “He is attacking what we build. He is attacking what we sell. He is attacking how we earn our living.
“We are facing the most serious crisis in our lifetime. Everything in my life has prepared me for this moment.”
Polling from earlier in the week by the firm Angus Reid showed that the majority of Canadians from across the political spectrum back Carney as their choice to face off with the American president.
It is hoped that the PM will be able to see the governing Liberals through the upcoming federal election as current polls show a narrow win by the rival Conservative Party.
According to data collected by Angus Reid, 43 per cent of Canadians back Carney to deal with Trump compared to the 34 per cent who support Tory leader Pierre Poilievre.
A win by Freeland would have shocked Liberals and made them more fearful of an election loss.
Thanks to Trudeau’s unpopularity following his scandal-hit decade in power, she would have struggled to shake off the connection as the Conservatives attack the former Prime Minister’s record.
The election, which must take place by October 20, could happen in a matter of weeks so Carney will have to hit the ground running to win over voters.
Carney’s new role as Prime Minister is his first position in parliament and elected office – something that could work in his favour or be to his detriment in the upcoming election.
He has sold himself to supporters as a breath of fresh air for the Liberal Party, as there is no overlap with himself and Trudeau.
At his closing rally he said that across the country, Canadians want change and that he, as a political outsider, can give them that.
“It’s getting to the point where after two months I may have to start calling myself a politician,” he joked with supporters.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13734753/trudeau-replaced-mark-carney-canada-prime-minister/
