The Liberal Party of Canada has chosen Mark Carney, a former central banker and outspoken climate activist, to replace Justin Trudeau as its leader, setting the stage for a high-stakes national election in the coming weeks. Carney, who previously led both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, secured a commanding 86% of the vote in the party’s leadership election on Sunday night.
Carney wasted no time in taking aim at both his political rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, and U.S. President Donald Trump, positioning himself as a staunch defender of Canadian sovereignty.
“America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape, or form,” Carney declared in his victory speech, adding that the U.S. was seeking to “destroy our way of life” by attempting to control Canada’s resources.
His comments come amid heightened tensions between Ottawa and Washington. Since returning to the White House, Trump has suggested that Canada could become the 51st U.S. state and has reimposed tariffs on key Canadian exports. Carney signaled that he would take a hardline stance against U.S. economic pressure, vowing that “Canada will not bow down to a bully” and that the country must stand united in the face of external threats.
Despite his strong showing in the Liberal leadership race, Carney faces an uphill battle in the coming election. Public opinion polls indicate that the governing Liberals, after nearly a decade in power under Trudeau, are struggling to maintain support. The opposition Conservatives, led by Poilievre, currently hold a slight advantage, fueled by widespread frustration over rising taxes, soaring housing costs, and persistent inflation.
Poilievre responded to Carney’s leadership win by painting him as a continuation of Trudeau’s policies.
“Liberals are trying to trick Canadians into electing them for a fourth term by replacing Trudeau with his economic advisor, Mark Carney,” Poilievre said on X. “It is the same Liberal team that drove up taxes, housing costs, and food prices, while Carney personally profited from moving billions of dollars and thousands of jobs out of Canada to the United States.”
Carney, a longtime advocate of aggressive climate policies, is likely to make environmental action a key pillar of his campaign. His past roles include serving as the U.N. special envoy for climate action and finance and launching the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero to push global financial institutions toward decarbonization.
These positions have earned him praise from environmental activists but also criticism from those who argue his policies could further strain an already struggling Canadian economy.