Canada PM Carney to call April 28 snap electi

Agence France-Presse

<div><br/></div><p>New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a snap election for April 28, triggering an intense campaign dominated by how to react to President Donald Trump&#x27;s trade war and demands to turn the close US ally into a 51st state.</p><p>Carney, who replaced prime minister Justin Trudeau just last week, is set to announce the election date on Sunday, two government sources told AFP Thursday on condition of anonymity.</p><p>The quick election announcement reflects Carney&#x27;s wish to capitalize on a polling surge for his Liberal Party, driven in large part by the US tariffs and Trump&#x27;s unprecedented and repeated statements that Canada should not remain an independent country.</p><p>At the start of the year -- just before Trump took office -- the Liberals had appeared headed for an electoral wipeout, with the opposition Conservatives on track to form the next government.</p><p>Amid relentless pressure from Trump and internal Liberal Party divisions, Trudeau announced his plans resign after nearly a decade in power.</p><p>However, Carney, who overwhelmingly won the March 9 party vote to replace Trudeau, has succeeded in uniting the Liberals as they confront Trump and fears of trade-war-induced recession.</p><div><br/></div><p>- Political novice -</p><div><br/></div><p>This will be the first campaign for Carney, a 60-year-old former central banker who has never held elected office.</p><p>He argues that his experience leading the Bank of Canada through the 2008-2009 financial crisis and as head of the Bank of England during the Brexit vote makes him the ideal candidate to lead during a time of economic turmoil.</p><p>Carney has called Trump&#x27;s United States a country Canada can &quot;no longer trust&quot; and warned Canadians that relations with Washington may be permanently altered.</p><p>After being sworn in on Friday, Carney quickly headed to Paris and London, arguing Canada needed to solidify its European alliances as ties with the United States deteriorate.</p><p>&quot;What is clear is that our trade and our security relations are too reliant on the United States. We must diversify,&quot; he said in London.</p><div><br/></div><p>- Polling surge -</p><div><br/></div><p>The Conservatives had been seeing a rise in polling numbers over the past year and their leader Pierre Poilievre looked on track to be prime minister. But recent surveys show the race will be a dead heat.</p><p>The Liberal polling gains have in part come at the expense of the left-wing New Democrats, who progressive voters often trust on domestic issues like healthcare but are not widely seen as strong in managing relations with the United States.</p><p>Queen&#x27;s University politics professor Stephanie Chouinard told AFP the election call was expected, with the Liberals making gains, but noted &quot;there is still uncertainty around Mark Carney, who has never campaigned.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s going to be a test in difficult conditions for him,&quot; she added.</p><div><br/></div><p>- &#x27;Maple syrup MAGA&#x27;? -</p><div><br/></div><p>The polling suggests some voters are less comfortable backing Poilievre as a counter to Trump.</p><p>The Tory leader has been praised on social media by key Trump ally Elon Musk, and some Liberals have sought to brand Poilievre as &quot;Maple Syrup MAGA.&quot;</p><p>But Poilievre is a seasoned politician who has sought to distance himself from Trump.</p><p>Trump appears to have noticed, saying the Canadian Conservative is &quot;stupidly no friend of mine.&quot;</p><p>At a campaign-style event in Jonquiere, Quebec on Thursday, Poilievre told reporters Canada &quot;needs a strong leader,&quot; and added that his plan is to &quot;make the economy less dependent on the United States and put Canada first.&quot; He did not mention Trump, however.</p><p>University of Ottawa politics professor Genevieve Tellier said that both the Conservatives and the New Democrats &quot;will try to focus on issues other than Mr Trump&#x27;s threats because that favors the Liberals for now.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s an incredible turnaround for the Liberals,&quot; she told AFP, noting Canadians are &quot;also looking for a certain stability&quot; and may see the Liberals, in power since 2015, as less of a risk.</p>

<p>New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a snap election for April 28, triggering an intense campaign dominated by how to react to President Donald Trump's trade war and demands to turn the close US ally into a 51st state.</p>

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a snap election for April 28, triggering an intense campaign dominated by how to react to President Donald Trump's trade war and demands to turn the close US ally into a 51st state.

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Canada PM Carney to call April 28 snap election

Canada PM Carney to call April 28 snap election

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 21, 2025 01:49 AM PHT

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Canada

Mike Carney

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