Ottawa, March 9 – Mark Carney, a former central banker, has triumphed in the race to become the leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, officially positioning him to succeed Justin Trudeau as the country’s prime minister. The announcement came on Sunday after official results revealed Carney had secured 86% of the vote in a race against former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
With just under 152,000 party members casting their votes, Carney’s victory solidifies his place as the new leader of Canada’s ruling party at a particularly turbulent moment in the country’s political landscape. The country is engaged in a tense trade dispute with the United States, led by President Donald Trump, and is facing an impending general election.
Carney, 59, emphasized the urgent need for change, addressing party members and denouncing Trump’s policies, which he claimed were aimed at weakening Canada’s economy. “There’s someone trying to weaken our economy,” Carney said, prompting loud boos in response to the mention of the U.S. president. “He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.”
The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor also outlined his vision for the future, stating that his leadership would not be “business as usual,” and that Canada would need to act swiftly and decisively in the face of unprecedented challenges.
Carney’s leadership bid came after Trudeau’s surprise announcement in January that he would step down as prime minister after nearly a decade in office. The decision followed a sharp decline in his approval ratings, forcing the Liberal Party into a quick leadership race.
In his final remarks as prime minister, Trudeau reflected on the significance of the moment, emphasizing that “democracy is not a given,” and warning that even Canada’s future is not guaranteed.
Carney, a political outsider with no formal experience in elected office, argued that his background in central banking made him the best candidate to lead the country through its current crisis, particularly in navigating trade talks with Trump’s administration. Carney also reinforced his stance on the ongoing tariff war, asserting that Canada would maintain retaliatory tariffs until the U.S. shows respect for Canadian interests.
In the aftermath of Carney’s win, the Liberal Party has seen a resurgence in its fortunes. At the start of 2025, the party was trailing behind the opposition Conservatives by a wide margin, but recent polls show the Liberals are now statistically tied with the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre.
A protest held outside Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa on Sunday saw numerous Canadians expressing their discontent with Trump, underscoring the rallying cry around the Liberal Party’s efforts to stand up to the U.S. president. University of British Columbia political expert Richard Johnston noted that the party’s recovery, amid Carney’s leadership and the Trump administration’s policies, was an unexpected turn of events.
Despite Carney’s lead, polls indicate that neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives would secure a majority government in a potential election. An election must be held by October 20, although Liberal Party sources have hinted that Carney may call for a vote much sooner.
Although Carney can serve as prime minister without a seat in the House of Commons, tradition dictates that he will likely seek to win a seat in an upcoming by-election as soon as possible.
With election speculation growing, the Liberal Party has sought to draw comparisons between Conservative leader Poilievre and Trump, while Poilievre has ramped up his attacks on Carney, further intensifying the political race ahead.