Mark Carney was elected as the new prime minister of Canada after succeeding Justin Trudeau as the leader of the Liberty Party following an election on Sunday.
According to the New York Times, more than 150,000 people voted in the party’s leadership election on Sunday, with Mr Carney accumulating 85.9 per cent of the votes to beat his friend and former finance minister, Chrystia Freeland.
The 59-year-old technocrat had never been elected into office until now but has deep experience in financial markets and was responsible for steering Canada through the 2008 global financial crisis and the Bank of England through Brexit.
He is expected to be quickly sworn into office as early as this week, and one of the biggest issues in Mr Carney’s immediate inbox will be the country’s souring relations with the United States.
Mr Carney will now face off with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in a federal election no later than October 20.
In his first remarks following the poll, Mr Carney said his government would “create new trading relationships with reliable trading partners.”
He also vowed to keep retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. “until the Americans show us respect.”
“New threats demand new ideas and a new plan,” Mr Carney said. “In trade as in hockey, Canada will win.”
The prime minister-designate added, “There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy. Yeah, Donald Trump. Donald Trump. He’s attacking Canadian families, workers, and businesses, and we cannot let him succeed.
“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form. Who’s ready to stand up for Canada with me?”
President Donald Trump had mooted the idea of annexing Canada to the U.S. as the 51st state.
“America is not Canada. And Canada never ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form,” Mr Carney said in his acceptance speech on Sunday evening.
