TORONTO — TORONTO (AP) — Canada looks set to pick a measured former central banker to deal with the threats President Donald Trump’s tariffs pose against a pillar of Western free trade.
Mark Carney, 59, could become the next prime minister when the governing Liberal Party of Canada announces a replacement for Justin Trudeau in a leadership vote Sunday.
The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. Trudeau announced his resignation in January but remains prime minister until a successor is chosen. Election laws mandate a vote before October but one is expected sooner.
Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are cancelling trips south and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.
The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s chances in Parliamentary elections that are expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving steadily in opinion polls.
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 navigated crises when he was the head of Canada’s central bank and when he became the first non-citizen to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694.
His appointment won bipartisan praise in Britain after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries.
Carney is credited with keeping money flowing through the Canadian economy by acting quickly in cutting interest rates to their lowest level ever of 1%, working with bankers to sustain lending through the crisis and, critically, letting the public know rates would remain low so they would keep borrowi