Canada's next prime minister Carney says transition will be quick after
meeting with Trudeau
[March 11, 2025]
By ROB GILLIES
TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s next prime minister met with outgoing prime
minister Justin Trudeau on Monday and vowed a quick transition.
Mark Carney said he had a long meeting with Trudeau in which they
discussed U.S.-Canada relations, national security issues and the timing
of the handover in power.
“That transition will be seamless and it will be quick,” said Carney,
adding there would be an announcement soon.
Carney, a two-time central bank chief, will become prime minister after
the governing Liberal Party elected him its leader Sunday in a landslide
vote with 85.9% support.
Carney, 59, replaces Trudeau who announced his resignation in January
but remains prime minister until his successor is sworn in.
Carney is widely expected to trigger a parliamentary election in the
coming days or weeks amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff
and annexation threats. Or the opposition parties in Parliament could
force one with a no-confidence vote later this month.
Carney is a former Goldman Sachs executive with no experience in
politics.
He navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada from
2008, and then in 2013 when he became the first non-citizen to run the
Bank of England since it was founded in 1694. His appointment won
bipartisan praise in the U.K. after Canada recovered from the 2008
financial crisis faster than many other countries. He helped managed the
worst impacts of Brexit in the U.K.
The opposition Conservatives had hoped to make the election about
Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and
immigration surged.
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Canada Liberal Leader Mark Carney leaves a caucus meeting in Ottawa,
Monday, March 10, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
But Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st U.S.
state have have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American
anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are canceling trips south of the
border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.
The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s
chances in a parliamentary election, and Liberal showings have been
improving in opinion polls.
“There is tremendous energy in the Liberal caucus," Carney said.
“This is a united party full of energy."
Trump has postponed 25% tariffs on many goods from Canada and Mexico
for a month, amid widespread fears of a broader trade war. But he
has threatened other tariffs on steel, aluminum, dairy and other
products.
Carney said Sunday night that Canada will keep its initial
retaliatory tariffs in place until “the Americans show us respect.”
He said Canada didn't start the fight but would win.
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor, called
the U.S.-Canada relationship vital and said there's no one more
prepared to strengthen it than Carney.
“Mark is one of the smartest, most capable, and steady-handed
leaders I know,” Bloomberg posted on X.
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