Ex-central banker Mark Carney to replace Justin Trudeau as PM

Canada’s new prime minister-designate, steely former central banker Mark Carney, has accused Donald Trump of ‘wanting our resources’ after winning the rank and file Liberal vote to replace Justin Trudeau. | WATCH

Canada's prime minister-designate Mark Carney speaks after being elected as the new Liberal Party leader, in Ottawa. Picture: Dave Chan / AFP

Former central banker and political novice Mark Carney will replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the country confronts tariff and other threats from US President Donald Trump, whom he immediately blasted.

Mr Carney, 59, won 85.9 per cent of the rank and file ballots cast in the ruling Liberal Party leadership vote, according to the final tally.

After his win was announced, Mr Carney said Canada “cannot’’ let Mr Trump succeed in actions against it, adding the United States wanted “our country”.

“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” Mr Carney said. Mr Trump was “attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We cannot let him succeed.”

He said: “Americans should make no mistake. In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.’’

Mr Carney, who has served as the governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, was the front-runner to be named Liberal leader.

Voting closed early today AEDT after 151,899 party members cast ballots, the Liberal Party said. According to Reuters, there are about 400,000 registered party members.

Mr Trudeau warned after the vote that Canada faced an “existential challenge” from the United States, delivering a farewell address to party members, referring to Mr Trump’s trade war and repeated remarks on annexing Canada.

Leadership candidates Karina Gould, Frank Baylis, Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney at a leadership debate in February. Picture: Andrej Ivanov / AFP

Mr Carney racked up many endorsements, including from much of Mr Trudeau’s cabinet and more than half of Liberals in parliament.

His main challenger was Mr Trudeau’s former deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, who held several senior cabinet positions in the Liberal government that was first elected in 2015.

A Freeland win would have been a surprise for the party as it heads towards an election that must be held by October, but could come within weeks.

The new Liberal leader will become prime minister in the coming days, turning the page on the Trudeau era, but they may not have the job for long, with current polls putting the Conservatives as slight favourites to win the upcoming general election.

Both Ms Freeland and Mr Carney had maintained that they are the best candidate to defend Canada against Mr Trump’s attacks.

The US president has repeatedly spoken about annexing Canada and thrown bilateral trade, the lifeblood of the Canadian economy, into chaos with dizzying tariff actions that have veered in various directions since he took office.

Party supporters gathered on Sunday local time at an Ottawa hall draped in red where the winner was announced.

Lozminda Longkines, a Carney supporter, told AFP that Mr Trump’s repeated musings about making Canada the 51st US state were “a blessing in disguise”.

“We are so united ... we have a common enemy,” the 71-year old said.

Greg MacEachern, who declined to say who he was supporting, agreed the party would emerge from the vote tightly focused on Mr Trump.

“This is a serious time, and I think people have taken this leadership race very, very seriously,” said Mr MacEachern, wearing a hockey jersey.

Mark Carney speaks after being elected as the new Liberal Party leader in Ottawa. Picture: AFP

Chrystia Freeland, former finance minister. Picture: AFP

Mr Carney had argued that he is the ideal counter to Mr Trump’s disruptions, reminding voters that he led the Bank of Canada through the 2008-2009 financial crisis and steered the Bank of England through the turbulence that followed the 2016 Brexit vote.

Mr Trump “is attacking what we build. He is attacking what we sell. He is attacking how we earn our living,” Mr Carney told supporters at a closing campaign rally near Toronto on Friday.

“We are facing the most serious crisis in our lifetime,” he added. “Everything in my life has prepared me for this moment.”

Data released from the Angus Reid polling firm on Wednesday shows Canadians see Mr Carney as the favourite choice to face off against Mr Trump, potentially offering the Liberals a boost over the opposition Conservatives.

Forty-three per cent of respondents said they trusted Mr Carney the most to deal with Trump, with 34 per cent backing Tory leader Pierre Poilievre.

Before Mr Trudeau announced his plans to resign in January, the Liberals were headed for an electoral wipeout, but the leadership change and Mr Trump’s influence have dramatically tightened the race.

“I think we were written off about four months ago, and now we’re right back where we should be,” second-tier leadership candidate and former MP, Frank Baylis, told AFP in Ottawa.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump. Pictures: AFP

Mr Carney made a fortune as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs before entering the Canadian civil service.

Since leaving the Bank of England in 2020, he has served as a UN envoy working to get the private sector to invest in climate-friendly technology and has held private sector roles.

He has never served in parliament or held an elected public office. Analysts say his untested campaign skills could prove a liability against a Conservative Party already running attack ads accusing Mr Carney of shifting positions and misrepresenting his experience.

The 59-year-old has portrayed himself as a new voice untainted by Mr Trudeau, who he has said did not devote enough attention to building Canada’s economy.

In the coming days, Mr Trudeau and the new Liberal chief will visit Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon, who will task the leader with forming a government.

AFP