John Sudworth
Senior North America correspondent
Reporting fromOttawa
Watch: Trump has put unjustified tariffs on Canada, says Mark Carney
Mark Carney’s thumping victory in the race to succeed Justin Trudeau makes him not only leader of the Liberal Party but, by default, the next Canadian prime minister.
It’s an extraordinary result for a man with very little political experience. He has never been elected as an MP, let alone served in a cabinet post.
What Carney does have though – as Governor of the Bank of Canada during the global financial crisis and Governor of the Bank of England during the Brexit negotiations – is a long track record in global finance during times of economic turbulence.
And at a moment like this, Carney has been arguing, that could prove invaluable.
Politics in this country has been turned on its head as a result of what’s happening south of the border, with US President Donald Trump launching a trade war and threatening to make Canada the 51st state of America.
Addressing a crowd of Liberal supporters after the result of the leadership contest was announced on Sunday evening, Carney promised to face down the threats from Trump, over the tariffs and the claims on Canada’s sovereignty.
“Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form,” he said. “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.
“Americans should make no mistake”, he warned. “In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”
He repeatedly referred to the US president by name and said his government would keep retaliatory tariffs in place until “America shows us respect”.
How he will translate his strong language on the stage in Ottawa into practical solutions to those twin challenges was, however, far less clear.
Reuters
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is now Carney’s main challenger
Liberals might hope that Trudeau’s exit from the stage will, in itself, help clear the air.
Instead of the frequent mocking of T
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