OTTAWA — Mark Carney was elected Canada’s prime minister Monday, CBC News and CTV News both projected, with Canadians giving the Liberal leader the mandate he sought to take on President Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade policy.
Carney cemented the Liberals’ fourth-straight term in government, a rare feat in Canadian politics — while holding back the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre. The win shows that voters rejected Trump’s brand of populism — which Liberals argued Poilievre had come to represent.
Carney, who was seen to move the Liberals to the center following the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, ran on his economic record. He headed up two G7 central banks, worked for more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, and chaired both Brookfield Asset Management and Bloomberg.
He pitched himself as a “crisis manager” who would protect Canada’s economy and broader culture from Trump’s tariffs and apparent expansionist aims. The Liberals were successful in capitalizing on voters’ anxieties about the impact of tariffs on their jobs and cost of living.
On the campaign trail, Carney promised to Trump-proof Canada and unite a country where patriotism bloomed following the president’s expressed desire to absorb it as a 51st state.
The rookie politician beat out the Conservatives led by Poilievre, a 20-year veteran of the House of Commons.
Pollsters have called the Liberals’ reversal of political fortunes unprecedented. For nearly two years, the party had trailed far behind Conservatives. But Trudeau’s resignation, Carney’s election as party leader, and the president’s return to the White House led to a Liberal resurrection.
The U.S. has slapped several tariffs on Canada, including 25 percent on goods that do not comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, and a 25 percent tariff on certain autos and their parts.
Carney has said his Day 1 priority is negotiating with Trump, but has also repeatedly stated Canada’s traditional relationship with the U.S. is “over.” He has vowed to seek new trade and defense partnerships with allies, diversify Canada’s automotive supply chain, and bolster Canada’s military — particularly in its Arctic.
Carney has warned Canadians that there is a long road ahead. “There is no silver bullet. There is no quick fix,” he said after Trump imposed auto tariffs. “But I have every confidence in our country because I understand what President Trump does not. That we love Canada with every fibre of our being.”
