Ottawa, March 10 (HS): The ruling Liberal Party of Canada has elected Mark Carney as the new Prime Minister, replacing Justin Trudeau. Carney won the leadership race with ease against three rivals and will contest the next general elections on behalf of the Liberal Party. His appointment comes at a time when Canada’s economy is expected to be affected by Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Trudeau, who served as Prime Minister for nine years, announced his resignation in January amid growing pressure.

Former central bank governor Carney achieved a stunning victory in the voting to choose the leader of the Liberal Party, securing 85.9% of the votes. He easily defeated three strong competitors: former cabinet minister Karina Gould, former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, and former Liberal MP Frank Valeriote.

Born in 1965 in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Carney studied at Harvard. He has served as head of the central banks of both the UK and Canada. As the Chief of the Bank of Canada, Carney faced financial crises, and Canada rebounded from the 2008 financial crisis more rapidly than many other countries. In 2013, he became the head of the Bank of England.

However, Mark Carney has never held an elected office and is not a member of Parliament. Given the increasing tensions with the United States, the issue of who will be the better face to manage the challenges and relationships with the U.S. is likely to emerge strongly in the upcoming elections. The rising wave of nationalism in Canada has enhanced the Liberal Party’s prospects in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar