Mark Carney has been elected Prime Minister of Canada in a national election shaped by economic anxiety and growing tensions with the United States.
Carney, a former central banker and political newcomer, led the Liberal Party to a narrow victory over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party.
He secured a rare fourth consecutive term for the Liberals in government.
Despite coming in second, the Conservatives recorded their strongest performance in decades, while the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) was decimated, prompting its leader to resign on election night.
The Liberals fell short of a majority and will need support from the NDP and the Bloc Québécois party to win.
Speaking to supporters in Ottawa after the election, Carney acknowledged the divided result and called for unity. He delivered a sharp warning about the U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies.
“President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, ever happen.”
Carney vowed to confront the threat “with overwhelming, positive force,” and to negotiate a new economic and security agreement with the U.S. as “two sovereign nations”.
He promised to “fight back with everything we have to get the best deal for Canada.”
He ended his speech using Trump’s own language, “We are going to build, build, baby, build.”
Carney’s campaign focused heavily on protecting Canada’s economy from Trump’s tariffs and preserving Canadian sovereignty.
The U.S. has imposed multiple tariffs, including a 25 percent levy on certain automotive goods and products deemed non-compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Running on his record as a “crisis manager,” Carney emphasized his experience leading two G7 central banks and managing global firms like Brookfield Asset Management and Bloomberg.
He moved the Liberals toward the center after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation, capitalizing on fears about economic uncertainty and American trade threats.
Meanwhile, Poilievre, who had been riding high in polls until recent months, conceded defeat and called for national unity, while criticizing the Liberals’ minority status.
“We didn’t quite get over the finish line,” he told supporters.
At the Liberal campaign headquarters, supporters erupted in cheers when the win was confirmed at 10:11pm ET (3:11am GMT +1).
Carney has signaled a dramatic shift in Canada’s international strategy, declaring the traditional relationship with the U.S. “over”.
He declared commitment to new trade and defence alliances, a diversified auto supply chain, and enhanced military readiness, particularly in the Arctic.
