Mark Carney has been chosen as the new leader of the Liberal Party and the next Prime Minister of Canada. He will take over from Justin Trudeau. Liberal Party president Sachit Mehra announced the news on Monday. Carney, who was the head of the central banks of both Canada and the UK, won the Liberal leadership race.
Carney was the top choice to replace Justin Trudeau as the leader of the Liberal Party. He was the 8th governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and also led the Financial Stability Board from 2011 to 2018.
A former Goldman Sachs executive, Carney became well-known for helping Canada avoid a major financial crisis in 2008. Polls suggested that people saw him as the most reliable politician to handle relations with US President Donald Trump.
Mark Carney once compared Donald Trump to Voldemort, the villain from Harry Potter. He won the Liberal leadership race with 131,674 votes, which is about 85.9% of the total. His rivals received far fewer votes, Chrystia Freeland got 11,134, Karina Gould secured 4,785, and Frank Baylis received 4,038.
Before giving his speech at the Liberal Party convention, Carney was introduced on stage by his daughter, Cleo Carney. Cleo Carney described her father as a "man of commitment" who is "dedicated to what matters, focused, and principled."
In his speech, Mark Carney called Canada "strong." He said, "This room is strong, this room is Canada strong." He also spoke about former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s speech, saying it influenced his family to support the Liberal Party. He shared that his father ran as a Liberal candidate in Alberta in the 1980s.
Mark Carney thanked former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien for inspiring him. He said he is proud to continue Chrétien’s values of responsible spending, social justice, and strong leadership.Carney urged Canadians to stand up for their country. He assured that the Liberal Party is strong, united, and ready to work toward a better future.
He promised a new plan to strengthen the economy and build strong ties with trustworthy trade partners. Speaking about Donald Trump's tariff threats, Carney said, "We cannot let him succeed, and we won’t." He added that Canada will keep its trade penalties in place until the U.S. agrees to fair and reliable trade policies.
Mark Carney warned that if Americans took Canada’s resources, land, and economy, it would harm the way of life for people in Ottawa. He criticized the U.S. for treating healthcare like a business, while Canada considers it a basic right. He firmly stated, "America is not Canada. Canada will never be a part of America in any way, shape, or form."
Emerging political leader
Carney, 59, has never held political office, which would normally be a disadvantage in a leadership race. However, his background in banking and his distance from Justin Trudeau worked in his favour. He argued that he was the best person to handle Trump.
During a leadership debate last month, Carney said, "I know how to manage crises. In a situation like this, you need crisis management experience and strong negotiation skills." He assured that Canada will stand firm against Trump's tariff threats.
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