Official results showed on Sunday that a former central banker, Mark Carney won the race to become leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister.
Carney will take over at a tumultuous time in Canada, which is in the midst of a trade war with longtime ally the United States under President Donald Trump and must hold a general election soon.
It was gathered that the 56-year-old Carney took 86% of votes cast to beat former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a contest in which just under 152,000 party members voted.
“There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy. He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed. This won’t be business as usual.
“We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible,” Carney said of Trump, spurring loud boos at the party gathering.
Recall that Trudeau announced in January that he would step down after more than nine years in power as his approval rating plummeted, forcing the ruling Liberal Party to run a quick contest to replace him.
“Make no mistake, this is a nation-defining moment. Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given,” Trudeau said.