Canada has elected Mark Carney as its new prime minister, replacing Justin Trudeau amidst historic tensions with the United States.
Carney, an economist and former central banker, will be sworn in as prime minister in the coming days, marking his first venture into Canadian politics at the highest level.
He is taking the reins of the Liberal Party at a time of renewed political momentum, following years of declining support and criticism over social and economic issues.
In his victory speech, Carney pledged to work tirelessly to build a stronger Canada for all citizens after securing 85.9 percent of the vote on the first ballot.
Carney, a graduate of Harvard and Oxford universities, has a background in investment banking and climate-conscious investing.
His experience as a central banker during times of crisis, including the global financial crisis of 2008 and Brexit, has earned him praise for his ability to navigate economic challenges.
Despite his lack of political experience, Carney has outlined broad promises to rein in government spending, invest in housing, diversify trading partners, and address the climate crisis.
As he prepares to face opposition leaders in the upcoming federal election, Carney’s portrayal of himself as an outsider has been met with skepticism due to his extensive experience as a policy expert and insider in the political and financial realms.
“If that’s what you’re into, then this is top-notch,” Moscrop informed Al Jazeera.
“But for those who don’t vibe with that, he embodies what some on the left and right view as a global economic elite consensus that is oppressing everyday people.”
Poilievre and his Conservative Party have tapped into the public anger and anxiety over rising prices to criticize the Liberal government in recent years – and they have continued to use that line of attack against Carney.
Poilievre – a politician known for his confrontational rhetoric during his two decades in Canada’s Parliament – has criticized the economist as being “just like Justin” in an attempt to link him to the unpopular policies of the outgoing prime minister.
This includes a Liberal carbon pricing program that Carney once supported but has now promised to scrap due to strong public opposition. Poilievre has taken to calling him “Carbon Tax Carney” and criticizing the “Carney-Trudeau Liberals.”
The Conservatives have also accused Carney of dishonesty when he recently claimed he was not at Brookfield Asset Management – his former firm – when it formally decided to move its headquarters from Toronto to New York.
The move to the US, according to Conservative lawmaker Michael Barrett, was “taking jobs away from Canadians.”
A spokesperson for Carney’s campaign dismissed the criticism, stating to local media outlets that the decision did not impact Canadian jobs.
Additionally, Carney has faced demands from opposition parties to adhere to conflict-of-interest regulations that Canadian lawmakers must follow.
Since he has never been elected, Carney is not currently required to comply with those procedures, which involve disclosing private interests to an ethics commissioner and transferring financial holdings into a blind trust.
“If Mark Carney has the honor of becoming prime minister, he will not only adhere to all relevant ethics rules and guidelines but exceed them,” his campaign assured the Toronto Star in response to the criticism.
“The office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has already been informed in advance to ensure that all necessary steps can be taken immediately, and assets will be promptly placed in a blind trust.”
Poilievre has derided Carney as ‘just like Justin’, referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [Patrick Doyle/Reuters]
Trump factor
However, according to Beland, Canadians are currently more concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the Canada-US relationship and Trump’s tariffs than domestic issues.
Fears of a trade war with Washington have contributed to increased support for the Liberals in recent weeks. Polls indicate that the party has narrowed the gap with the Conservatives, which was once a 26-percentage-point deficit.
The future of Canada-US relations seems likely to be the primary issue in the upcoming election, with Canadians evenly divided on which leader is better equipped to handle the US president.
An Angus Reid Institute poll released this week showed Carney with a 9-percentage-point advantage. Approximately 43 percent of respondents trusted him most to deal with Trump, compared to 34 percent who chose Poilievre.
“They will need to devise a clear strategy for challenging [Carney]. Just using empty slogans probably won’t be effective,” the professor commented on the Conservatives.
“In times of crisis, you need seriousness, and Carney embodies seriousness. He’s an elite technocrat, while Poilievre prefers slogans and mocking people,” Beland added.
“[Poilievre’s approach] may seem somewhat absurd in the context of this foreign policy and trade crisis instigated by Trump.”
Meanwhile, Carney has accused Poilievre of echoing Trump’s rhetoric.
“[Poilievre] idolizes the man. He mimics his language. He’s not the right person for our country at this critical time,” Carney stated during last month’s debate.
The Conservative leader, in response, accused Carney and the Liberals of using the threat of tariffs to divert attention from their record over the past decade.
“If Carney-Trudeau policies caused this much economic damage before tariffs, imagine the devastation they would cause after tariffs,” Poilievre remarked at a recent “Canada First” rally in Ottawa.
“Who’s the worst person to stand up to Donald Trump? Pierre Poilievre. He worships the man.” @MarkJCarney pic.twitter.com/QfF0tJJ8gv
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) February 26, 2025
‘Meet the moment’
With Carney now leading the party, it remains to be seen if the Liberals can sustain their recent progress.
It is also uncertain if they can overcome a sense of “incumbent fatigue.” Federal parties in Canada typically do not remain in power for more than a decade, and the Liberals have been in control since 2015.
“In many Western, G7 countries, people are tired of the incumbents and want a change,” stated journalist Catherine Tsalikis, who wrote a biography of Freeland, the former deputy to Trudeau who was Carney’s main rival in the leadership race.
Tsalikis told Al Jazeera that she believes most of the Liberal cabinet rallied around Carney because he presented “the best opportunity to appear as though the party is differentiating itself from the Justin Trudeau brand, or showing that they are making a change.”
“How different will he be from Trudeau? That’s a question that remains unanswered,” she added.
According to Moscrop, the political analyst, Carney may not be “the person to meet the moment,” partly because a majority of Canadians are responding to a “populist, angry tone that seems to validate their anger, frustration, and anxiety.”
Affordability, along with healthcare and housing, remains a top concern for Canadian voters.
“That doesn’t mean that those offering alternative solutions are not entirely bogus themselves. Pierre Poilievre juga seorang insider dan elit yang melakukan aksi populis palsu yang pada akhirnya, menurut saya, akan membawanya ke kehancuran ketika dia tidak bisa memberikan,” kata Moscrop.
Tapi setidaknya nada itu sesuai dengan nada populasi yang berjuang untuk mempertahankan saldo bank positif sambil membayar sewa dan memberi makan diri mereka dan keluarga mereka.”
Carney berbicara dengan media setelah debat kepemimpinan Liberal pada 25 Februari [Evan Buhler/Reuters]
Pada akhirnya, nasib politik Carney sendiri mungkin terikat pada harapan partainya untuk pemilihan berikutnya.
Suara harus dilakukan sebelum 20 Oktober, tetapi Partai Liberal dapat memutuskan untuk memanggilnya lebih cepat.
Jika mereka dapat menahan Konservatif menjadi pemerintahan minoritas dan muncul sebagai oposisi resmi, itu mungkin sudah cukup untuk dianggap sebagai kemenangan bagi partai yang dulunya menuju kekalahan telak.
Tapi jika Liberal kurang dari itu, waktu Carney sebagai pemimpin partai bisa berumur pendek.
“Jika kamu bukan setidaknya pemimpin oposisi, maka kamu mungkin harus pergi pada hari pertama. Kamu selesai,” kata Moscrop.
“Saya benar-benar berpikir bahwa harapan yang paling wajar di kalangan Liberal adalah oposisi resmi – dan apapun di bawah itu akan menghancurkan dan di atas itu akan menjadi bonus.”