Canada’s incoming Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has taken a defiant stance against U.S. President Donald Trump, vowing to resist American trade policies and asserting that Canada will “never” become part of the United States.
Speaking to Liberal Party supporters in Ottawa after his overwhelming election victory on Sunday, Carney declared his commitment to defending the “Canadian way of life.”
“We didn’t ask for this fight. But Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” he said. “So the Americans, they should make no mistake, in trade as in hockey, Canada will win.”
Carney warned that the U.S. under Trump was seeking to seize control of Canada’s resources, land, and water, calling it an “existential challenge.”
“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” he said. “These were dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust.”
Carney, a former Governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, secured a decisive victory over Chrystia Freeland, winning 85.9% of the nearly 152,000 votes cast.
Despite his triumph, Carney may not hold office for long, as Canada is required to hold elections by October, with the possibility of an earlier snap poll. Current opinion polls show the opposition Conservatives as slight favorites.
Trump’s trade policies have caused disruptions in U.S.-Canada relations, with the former U.S. president making controversial remarks about annexing Canada. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the situation as a major threat, stating, “Canadians face from our neighbor an existential challenge.”
