Ex-central banker Mark Carney to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada's prime minister after winning Liberal Party vote
Share and Follow

Former central banker Mark Carney will become Canada’s next prime minister after the governing Liberal Party elected him its leader Sunday as the country deals with U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threat, and a federal election looms.

Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remains prime minister until his successor is sworn in in the coming days. Carney won in a landslide, winning 85.9% of the vote.

“There is someone who is trying to weaken our economy,” Carney said. “Donald Trump, as we know, has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell and how we make a living. He’s attacking Canadian families, workers and businesses and we cannot let him succeed and we won’t.”

Carney said Canada will keep retaliatory tariffs in place until “the Americans show us respect.”

Carney navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada and when in 2013 he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694. His appointment won bipartisan praise in the U.K. after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries.

The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged.

Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are canceling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.

The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s chances in a parliamentary election expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving steadily in opinion polls.

“We have made this the greatest country in the world and now our neighbors want to take us. No way,” Carney said earlier.

After decades of bilateral stability, the vote on Canada’s next leader now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the United States.

Carney has picked up one endorsement after another from Cabinet ministers and members of Parliament since declaring his candidacy in January. He is a highly educated economist with Wall Street experience who has long been interested in entering politics and becoming prime minister, but he lacks political experience.

The other top Liberal leadership candidate was former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Trudeau told Freeland in December that he no longer wanted her as finance minister, but that she could remain deputy prime minister and the point person for U.S.-Canada relations. Freeland resigned shortly after, releasing a scathing letter about the government that proved to be the last straw for Trudeau.

Carney is expected to trigger an election shortly afterward. Either Carney will call one, or the opposition parties in Parliament could force one with a no-confidence vote later this month.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Kansas zoo says one rhino killed the other

Rhino Fatally Injures Fellow Rhino at Kansas Zoo

GARDEN CITY, Kan. (KSNW) A Kansas zoo says one of its rhinos…
Migrant fleeing hit-and-run crash charged in young girl's death

Migrant Involved in Hit-and-Run Faces Charges in Young Girl’s Death

AUSTIN (KXAN) A man was arrested Thursday in relation to the death…
Alan Bergman, Oscar-winning lyricist who helped write 'The Way We Were,' dies at 99

Oscar-Winning Lyricist Alan Bergman, Co-Writer of ‘The Way We Were,’ Passes Away at 99

LOS ANGELES — Alan Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with his…
Scripps Research CEO's private plane goes missing over the Pacific Ocean

CEO of Scripps Research’s Private Jet Disappears Over Pacific Ocean

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has…
Tech CEO placed on leave amid fallout over Coldplay kiss cam footage

Tech Leader Suspended Following Controversy Over Kiss Cam Video at Coldplay Event

The CEO of a tech company has been placed on leave following…
Venezuela releases 10 jailed Americans in deal that frees migrants deported to El Salvador by US

Venezuela Frees 10 American Prisoners in Exchange for Deported Migrants Sent to El Salvador

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Venezuela released 10 jailed Americans on Friday in exchange…
Federal Reserve says building renovation complies with law, defends costs

Federal Reserve Justifies Renovation Costs, Asserts Legal Compliance

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday said the…
Judge orders Tennessee to turn off inmate's heart-regulating implanted device at execution

Tennessee Judge Commands Disabling of Inmate’s Heart Device During Execution

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials must deactivate a death-row inmate ‘s…