Jessica Murphy
BBC News, Ottawa
Trump has put unjustified prices on Canada – Mark Carney
The former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, won the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canadian Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party.
Carney, 59, who easily beat three rivals, will lead the liberals in the next general elections, which should be called in the coming weeks.
In his victory speech, Carney was unleashed to American President Donald Trump, who sparked a trade war with Canada and comments on the country of the 51st American state.
Carney, who has never been used in elected functions, takes power at a time of deep instability for Canada. The liberals followed conservatives in opinion polls, although they have reduced the gap since the start of the trade war with Trump.
The management race began in January after Trudeau resigned after almost a decade. He had faced internal pressures to stop deep unpopularity with the voters.
Carney should be sworn in as Prime Minister in the coming days and will lead a minority government in Parliament.
He could either call for a general election, or the opposition parties could force one with a vote without confidence later this month.
After being declared a winner on Sunday evening, Carney said: “Canadians know that new threats require new ideas and a new plan.
“They know that new challenges require new leadership. Canadians want a positive leadership that will end the division and help us build together.”
On Trump, he said that the American president had placed “unjustified prices” in Canada.
“He attacks Canadian workers, families and businesses,” said Carney. “We cannot let him succeed.”
He said his government would keep prices on American imports “until the Americans show us respect.”
Carney also undertook to “secure our borders”, which was a key request from Trump in their tariff deadlock.
The former central banker ran in a largely centrist program, to a distance from Trudeau, who had moved the liberals to the left.
Among its key promises, while Canada faces a pricing war with the United States, its greatest trading partner, is to advance major energy projects such as pipelines, which had to face political roadblocks in recent years.
He has promised significant investments in housing and clean energy projects and to liberalize trade in Canada, where obstacles remain between the provinces and to diversify trade forms the United States.
During the management race, Carney promised to cap the size of the federal government, which increased by 40% under Trudeau and to undertake an examination of the program.
He said that at the end of February, he managed a “small” deficit for three years “which aligned itself with our tax capacity”, before balanced the operational budget.
Carney said the country needed significant investments to counter Trump’s pricing threats, especially in defense, energy and port and rail infrastructure.
