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Mark Carney is set to take over as Canada’s prime minister. The former central banker won the Liberal leadership race with 85.9% of the vote. He replaces Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January.
Trudeau will remain in office until he formally steps down in the coming days.
Carney’s victory, however, came with low voter turnout. The Liberal Party had around 400,000 registered members eligible to vote. Only 151,899 actually cast a ballot. That means less than 40% of the party’s members took part in the leadership race.
Carney has never been elected to public office. He built his career in elite financial circles, working at Goldman Sachs, the Bank of Canada, and the Bank of England.
He was the first non-British citizen to lead the UK’s central bank. Critics accuse him of fueling Brexit fear-mongering during his time in London.
Now, he steps into power as tensions with the U.S. rise. Carney blames President Donald Trump for “attacking Canadian families, workers, and businesses.”
He vowed to keep retaliatory tariffs in place until the U.S. “shows respect.” Anti-American sentiment is growing in Canada. Crowds are booing the U.S. national anthem at NHL and NBA games. Many are boycotting American products.
Carney was a key advisor to Trudeau during Canada’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns. He harshly condemned the “Freedom Convoy” truckers, calling them “seditionists.” He pushed for the government to crack down on those who funded the protest. He has also been a major force behind global climate policies. He led the Net Zero Banking Alliance, an initiative that U.S. banks recently abandoned after Trump’s re-election.
Despite his long ties to Trudeau, Carney claims he will take the Liberal Party in a new direction. His main leadership rival, former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, won only 8% of the vote. She resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet after he sidelined her.
A federal election is expected soon. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is ready to fight. He has called Carney “sneaky” and says his leadership will be more of the same.
Poilievre is campaigning on cutting immigration, slashing government spending, and ending the carbon tax.
Carney’s path to power has been smooth so far. But the real test will come when Canadians head to the polls. Will they accept another unelected globalist? Or will they choose real change?