Incoming prime minister Mark Carney said Monday he will soon take over from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after his convincing win in the ruling Liberal Party’s leadership race.
“The transition will be seamless, and it will be quick,” Carney said reporters in Ottawa after meeting Trudeau and the Liberal caucus.
Speaking a day after the leadership vote, Carney said he and Trudeau discussed “the most important issues for our country, including Canada-U.S. relations.”
But he declined to comment on President Donald Trump’s threats against Canada, which include tariffs and comments about annexation. Carney said he was not yet prime minister and Trudeau remained Trump’s “interlocutor” for now.
“This is a crucial time for our country,” he added.
Carney, 59, soundly defeated his rivals in the Liberal leadership race Sunday, winning 86 per cent of more than 150,000 votes cast.
In his victory speech to supporters, he struck a defiant tone towards the United States.
“The Americans, they should make no mistake, in trade as in hockey, Canada will win,” he said.
“We didn’t ask for this fight. But Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.”
Media reports, citing unnamed sources, indicated the transition from Trudeau to Carney could take place by week’s end, but the timing remained uncertain.
Regardless of when Carney forms a government, he may not be prime minister for long.
Canada must hold elections by Oct. 7 but could see a snap poll within weeks. Current public opinion surveys put the opposition Conservatives as slight favourites.
The general election will be a major test for Carney, a former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, who has never served in parliament nor held any elected public office.
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