Mark Carney is the new leader of Canada Liberal Party, set to become PM

Toronto: Former central banker Mark Carney coasted to a landslide victory on Sunday to become the new leader of the ruling Liberal Party, paving the way for him to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister. In his victory speech at the Roger’s Centre in Ottawa on Sunday, Carney focused his attention on the threat posed to Canada by US President Donald Trump, as he said the country faced “dark days.” “We needed big changes, guided by strong Canadian values,” he said, in order to confront Trump. “Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” he warned, adding, “He’s attacking Canadian families, workers and business and we cannot let him succeed, and we won’t.” Carney also attacked his principal rival, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, but also adopted several policies that the opposition has backed in the last year, including eliminating a consumer carbon tax, stopping a hike in capitals gains tax, reducing Government spending and building energy pipelines. Former British Columbia premier Ujjal Dosanjh felt that Carney “is a good thing happening to Canada.” He said the country needed to move to the centre and away from the “excessive pandering” by Trudeau that led to a “splintering of society.” Dosanjh, also a former federal cabinet minister from the Liberal Party, said he expected Carney to practice “economic pragmatism” while “enhancing social cohesion.” He said Carney has already revived the fortunes of the Liberals, which had cratered under Trudeau, though that was, in part, attributable to Trump’s “antics.” Poilievre and the Conservative Party, as expected, have Carney now as their target. The winner said that Canda faced “new challenges” which required “new leadership.” In what will become the campaign theme of the next election, Carney reiterated that Canada faced the “greatest crisis of our lifetimes.” But, he said, “Canada never ever will be part of American n any way, shape or form.” The leadership race was precipitated by Trudeau’s announcement on January 6 that he intended to resign once his successor was selected by the party.