Mark Carney To Be Canada’s Premier As Tensions Rise Witn US
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TORONTO, CANADA (Worthy News) – Mark Carney, a former central banker who oversaw financial turmoil in North America and Britain, prepared Monday to become the next prime minister of a nation that he says faces the “greatest crisis of our lifetimes.”
Carney, 59, takes on the role after winning Sunday’s race to lead the federal Liberal party as Canada is locked in a potentially catastrophic trade war with the United States, its longtime ally and biggest trading partner.
Last week, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced a 25 percent tax on all Canadian goods, with a carveout for the automotive and energy sectors, and suggested making Canada the “51st state” of the United States of America.
Canada fears the tariffs will cause its already fragile economy to recede.
In his acceptance speech, Carney addressed U.S. President Trump’s tariffs on Canada and the perceived threat that he posed to the country, calling the current events the “greatest crisis of our lifetimes.”
He stressed, “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves, so the Americans should make no mistake: in trade as in hockey, Canada will win.”
Indirectly addressing Trump’s calls to make Canada the 51st state of the U.S., Carney added, “America is not Canada, and Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form.”
RETALIATORY TARIFFS
Carney also criticized the U.S. leader’s tariffs on Canadian goods, saying he supports Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on the U.S.
“Donald Trump has put, as we know, unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell, on how we make a living. He’s attacking Canadian workers, businesses, and families… we cannot let him succeed, and we won’t,” Carney said. “My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect.”
Carney is expected to be sworn in sometime this week by the governor-general of Canada, a representative in Canada of Britain’s King Charles III. The newly elected Liberal Party leader is expected to immediately call for an election as early as late April.
Carney takes over from Justin Trudeau, the longtime prime minister who stepped down earlier this year following pressure from his party as he had become an unpopular politician.
However, an emotional Trudeau said he was “damn proud” of his government’s legacy.
Trudeau is the son of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who dominated the country’s politics in the 1970s and ’80s. The younger Trudeau became prime minister after his Liberal Party won a sweeping majority in 2015 amid a promise to usher in a new, progressive era of “Sunny Ways.”
The Liberal leader will remembered for his commitment to “gender equality” in his cabinet, which continues to be 50 percent women, and for progress on reconciliation with Indigenous people in Canada.
He also introduced a national carbon tax, implemented a tax-free child benefit for families, and legalized recreational cannabis.
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