Mark Carney was named Canada’s Prime Minister on Sunday 9 March, becoming Justin Trudeau’s successor. He wasted no time taking a jab at Donald Trump in his victory speech.
Carney isn’t exactly a politician
The 59-year-old soon to be Canada’s Prime Minister has no actual experience as a politician, but has held several roles in government before.
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Carney has served in various roles in the Canadian Government, most recently as the chair of the Liberal Party of Canada’s Task Force on Economic Growth.
Carney is also a banker
The new Canadian PM also has a strong background in banking, as he previously served as the governor of the Bank of Canada and was the first non-British individual to ever run the Bank of England since its founding in 1694.
He first announced he would be running for PM in January, a week after Justin Trudeau announced he would be stepping down.
He brushed off Trump’s words in his speech
Carney, who won 86% of the election ballots, wasted no time brushing off Trump’s threats against Canada’s economy as he accepted his succession announcement.
“America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form,” Carney said on Sunday, referring to Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st US state and to cripple its economy with tariffs.
Carney gave a strong speech
“We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” he continued.
“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.”
Carney believes he has the right background
Although Carney would be the first individual with no actual political background to become Canadian prime minister, he believes he has the right background to counter Trump’s tariff war.
Carney highlighted in his campaign that his experience as a banker gives him the ability to handle Trump and the tariff agenda.
Trudeau had spoken about the tariffs
In his farewell speech, Justin Trudeau had also alluded to the now-tense relationship between Canada and the US, saying, “These past 10 years have been challenging. Crisis after crisis has been thrown at Canadians, but through every crisis, Canadians have shown who they are.”
“And now, as Canadians face — from our neighbor — an existential challenge, an economic crisis, Canadians are showing exactly what we are made of,” he added.
Trudeau has been Canadian Prime Minister since 2015, and now Mark Carney is announced as his successor. It is unclear when Carney will formally assume office but he and Trudeau are expected to meet about the position soon.
