Canada’s next prime minister uses leadership victory speech to warn Canadians that the U.S. president wants to “destroy our way of life.”
Mark Carney, a political rookie but experienced banker with a history of helming state financial institutions during crises, won the race to replace Justin Trudeau on Sunday. The new Liberal Party leader arrives with a colossal task at the top of his to-do list: Defend Canada from Donald Trump.
“America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form,” Carney said in his victory speech. “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.”
Members of Canada’s governing Liberal Party elected Carney in a landslide on the first ballot Sunday at an Ottawa convention center, steps away from Parliament Hill. He will officially take over as Canada’s 24th prime minister during a swearing-in ceremony in the days ahead.
The political landscape in Canada has been upended by the return of Trump, and for the first time in years, the governing Liberals are ascendant. One of Carney’s first decisions will be whether or not to call a snap election in the middle of a trade war. He has identified Trump’s rolling tariff threats as an “economic and sovereign crisis.”“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” Carney said. “Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.”
