Mark Carney, former governor of the Canadian central bank and Bank of England, has been elected leader of the ruling Liberal Party and will replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported Mr
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PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported Mr Trudeau’s decision to step down as leader of the Liberal Party.
Trudeau’s decision to step down as leader of the Liberal Party.
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Mr Carney’s election on Sunday ended Mr Trudeau’s eight-year administration as Prime Minister.
The former banker won the election on Sunday with 85.9 per cent of the vote, defeating Chrystia Freeland, the former finance minister, and his closest rival.
His election marks the first time an outsider with no real political background has become Canadian prime minister.
Speaking on Sunday, Mr Carney said his experience as the first person to serve as the governor of two G7 central banks—Canada and England—made him the best candidate to deal with US President Donald Trump.
The new prime minister is assuming leadership during a turbulent period in Canada. The country faces a trade war with its longtime ally, the United States. It is also preparing for an upcoming general election.
After his election, Mr Carney described Trump as one seeking to weaken the Canadian economy.
“He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.”
“This won’t be business as usual,” Mr Carney said. “We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible.”
US-Canada trade war
Last week, President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent blanket tariffs on goods imported from Canada, the US, Mexico, and China erupted into a trade war.
Canada responded swiftly, imposing a tariff on $30 billion of US goods.
It also announced an additional $125 billion tariff on American goods, which will take effect on March 25.
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The premier of Ontario, Canada’s largest province, Doug Ford, also declared that the country is ready to cut off energy supply to the US in response to President Trump’s tariffs.
“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything, including cutting off their energy, with a smile on my face. And I’m encouraging every other province to do the same,” Mr Ford said.
China also responded with a 15 per cent tariff on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton imports.
Last Thursday, however, President Trump paused tariffs on several imports from Mexico and Canada covered by the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) for a month.
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