Carney’s Liberals win Canada election defined by Trump
[OTTAWA] Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged on Tuesday (Apr 29) to beat the United States in the trade war after winning Canada’s election and securing another term for his Liberal Party.
Congratulatory messages from world leaders have begun pouring in, with countries including China and India saying they would welcome cooperation with Carney’s government.
Following a campaign dominated by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats, Carney promised to chart “a new path forward” in a world “fundamentally changed” by a US that is newly hostile to free trade.
“We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons,” said Carney, who led the central banks of Canada and Britain before entering politics earlier this year. “We will win this trade war and build the strongest economy in the G7.”
Carney’s Liberals secured control of Canada’s parliament but may fall just short of a majority. That will require making deals with smaller parties but still marks an extraordinary comeback for the Liberals, who earlier this year looked headed for an electoral wipeout.
Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party had been on track to win the vote but Trump’s attacks, combined with the departure of unpopular former prime minister Justin Trudeau, transformed the race.
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Carney, who replaced Trudeau as prime minister just last month, convinced voters that his experience managing economic crises made him the ideal candidate to defy Trump.
Poilievre, whose party was on track to form a strong opposition, conceded defeat on Tuesday and promised to work with the Liberals to counter Trump.
“We will always put Canada first,” Poilievre told supporters in Ottawa. “Conservatives will work with the prime minister and all parties with the common goal of defending Canada’s interests and getting a new trade deal that puts these tariffs behind us while protecting our sovereignty.”
‘Closest of allies’
British leader Keir Starmer congratulated Carney and said he looked forward to strengthening bilateral ties, adding that the two countries are “the closest of allies, partners and friends”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said she anticipated working with Ottawa to “defend our shared democratic values, promote multilateralism, and champion free and fair trade”.
China’s foreign ministry said it was “willing to develop China-Canada relations on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit”.
The two countries have had a rocky relationship, with Ottawa and Beijing currently embroiled in a trade spat over tech and agriculture exports.
Meanwhile India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was keen to grow relations with Ottawa and “unlock greater opportunities for our people”.
Canada has accused New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Canadian who campaigned for Sikhs to secede from India – a claim which Modi’s government has denied.
Nato chief Mark Rutte congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney, calling Canada a valued member of Nato and saying he looked forward to working together to build a stronger, fairer alliance by investing more in defence and ramping up industrial production to ensure safety.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron said Prime Minister Mark Carney embodies a strong Canada in the face of today’s great challenges, and added that France looks forward to further strengthening the friendship between the two countries and working alongside him.
‘We are Canada’
When the Liberal win was announced, cheers of joy erupted at the Ottawa venue where Liberal supporters watched the results.
“We’ve got somebody that can speak to Trump on his level,” said Dorothy Goubault, 72. “Trump is a businessperson. Carney is a businessperson, and I think they can both relate.”
Liberal lawmaker and a member of Carney’s Cabinet, Steven Guilbeault, tied the outcome to Trump. “The numerous attacks by President Trump on the Canadian economy, but not just the economy, on our sovereignty and our very identity, have really mobilised Canadians,” he told the CBC.
He said that Canadians saw Carney as “someone who has experience with the economy”.
Carney led the Bank of Canada through the 2008-2009 financial crisis and headed the Bank of England through the turmoil surrounding the 2016 Brexit vote.
Trudeau’s departure
Trudeau’s departure was crucial to the Liberal win, which capped one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Canadian political history.
On Jan 6, the day Trudeau announced he would resign, the Conservatives led the Liberals by more than 20 points in most polls, as public anger over soaring costs mounted after Trudeau’s decade in power.
Carney distanced himself from Trudeau throughout the campaign. He said the former prime minister did not focus enough on growing Canada’s economy and scrapped a controversial Trudeau carbon tax that left many voters seething.
For Poilievre, a 45-year-old who has been in parliament for two decades, the outcome marks a stinging defeat. He was criticised for the at-times muted anger he directed towards Trump, but said he wanted to keep the focus on domestic concerns.
He tried to persuade voters that Carney would simply offer a continuation of the failed Liberal governance.
At the Conservative watch party in Ottawa, Jason Piche told AFP he was surprised by the result. “I was hoping to have a big celebration tonight,” Piche said.
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