- Mark Carney has been sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister after Justin Trudeau formally resigned to end nearly a decade in power.
- Carney’s new cabinet also has been sworn in at the ceremony at Rideau Hall in the Canadian capital, Ottawa.
- An economist and former central banker, Carney succeeds Trudeau amid soaring tensions over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats against Canada.
- Carney is expected to call a federal election before parliament resumes later this month, sending Canadians to the polls as early as late April.
Canada’s identity ‘much broader than official languages’ – Carney
A French-speaking reporter asks Carney about the change of the ministerial portfolio of Canadian Heritage to Canadian Culture and Identity.
The new PM says the change is about strengthening Canadian identity, with language at the centre of it.
He adds that the question of the country’s identity is much broader than just official languages – it also includes nature, oceans and biodiversity.
“To ensure those things are protected and promoted.”
Carney won’t announce yet where he is running in general election
Back to the election Canada has to hold before November and Carney is asked where in the country will he choose to run.
He is the first prime minister to never serve as a member of Parliament, and must run for a seat once the election is called.
“Today is not the day to announce where I will run,” Carney says.
Trump appeared convinced that Trudeau would remain in office
Although Trudeau stepped down as Liberal Party leader before Trump took office, the US president has insisted that the now-former Canadian prime minister would not quit.
Trump has repeatedly said over the past weeks that he thinks Trudeau wants to take advantage of the trade war between the two countries to remain in office.
Last week, Trump wrote in a social media post that Trudeau “is using the Tariff problem, which he has largely caused, in order to run again for Prime Minister”.
It is not clear what gave Trump that false impression. But Trudeau had definitively ruled out staying as prime minister – even in a caretaker capacity – after the Liberals elected a new leader.
And he has now left office.
Canada’s opposition leader slams Carney as ‘just like Justin’
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has hit out at Carney over the past several weeks by likening the economist to Trudeau and his government’s most unpopular policies.
Carney served as an economic adviser to the outgoing prime minister, but he was never an elected member of the Parliament of Canada.
In a post on X shortly after Carney was sworn in, Poilievre said most of the new prime minister’s cabinet served under Trudeau, as well.
“A Liberal is a Liberal is a Liberal,” the Conservative leader said.
Canada vote ‘turning into a one-issue election’
The Liberal Party in some ways has Donald Trump to thank for them rebounding in the polls. The Liberals had been on track for an enormous defeat after nine years of Justin Trudeau in office.
But now this is turning into a one-issue election. Carney is presenting himself as a steady pair of hands. As far as his argument is concerned, he’s the best qualified to face Donald Trump.
Now, it doesn’t help the main opposition party leader, the Conservative Party leader, Pierre Poilievre, that he had rather presented himself as a sort of Canadian Donald Trump – [with his slogan] “Canada first”.
That has rather backfired now that we have this outpouring of patriotism amongst Canadians as Donald Trump threatens to annex Canada.
When is Canada’s election?
A firm date hasn’t been set for the upcoming election.
The vote must take place by October 20, but it is likely to happen much sooner. As the party in government, the Liberals can effectively call a vote at any time.
Experts say an early election call appears likely, as the Liberals are riding a wave of increased support due to Trump’s tariffs and Trudeau’s decision to step down.
Opposition parties can also trigger an election by passing a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons. Trudeau suspended Parliament in January when he announced his resignation, and lawmakers are set to return on March 24.
If Carney doesn’t call an early election himself, Canada’s Conservative Party and the Bloc Quebecois have said they plan to try to bring down the Liberal government at the earliest opportunity to force a vote.
Trump threatening Canada’s ‘political sovereignty, economic prosperity’
Aaron Ettinger, an associate professor of political science at Carleton University, says that’s why Canada has hit back so hard against the US president’s policies.
Trump has imposed 25-percent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, including steel and aluminium, and threatened more. He also has called for Canada to become the 51st US state.
“From Canada’s perspective, there are two core interests at play – political sovereignty and economic prosperity – and Trump is threatening those two core things,” Ettinger told Al Jazeera.
“So it makes sense that the Canadian government and governments across the board are fighting back with tools that have rarely been used before vis-a-vis the United States.”
Ettinger said he believes Canada is hoping that its countertariffs on American goods would lead to political repercussions for Trump in the 2026 US midterm elections, which would force him to reconsider his policy.
“Canada can’t win in a slugfest with the United States in the long term, so it’s applying targeted pain with the understanding that this has to work in under two years,” Ettinger said.
“The thinking is that if you apply enough pain to enough Americans, they’ll cry uncle, he will lose political support, he will lose elections [and] there will be a move to resolve the economic crisis.”