Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday called a snap election for 28 April, launching his campaign with a strong message against negative politics and a commitment to fighting US tariffs imposed by Donald Trump. Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader in March, has framed the election as one of the most consequential in recent history, citing economic challenges and threats to Canada’s sovereignty.
Carney will run in the Ottawa riding of Nepean and has pledged to support farmers and businesses amid an escalating trade war with the US “I knew our country needed to take action,” he said, vowing to stand against Trump’s tariffs and repair the economy. He also criticised his opponents, saying, “It’s easy to be negative about everything when you’ve never built anything.” He added that negativity “won’t win a trade war” or help Canadians afford their homes and education.
The election campaign will last five weeks, with 343 parliamentary seats up for grabs. While multiple parties are running, the contest is expected to be a battle between Carney’s Liberals and Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. The party that secures a majority in Parliament will form the next government.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Canada should become the 51st US state and has imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium, with broader trade penalties expected to take effect on 2 April. His comments have sparked outrage in Canada, fuelling a surge in nationalist sentiment that has bolstered Carney’s standing in the polls.
Poilievre has positioned himself as a strong opponent of Trump’s trade measures while also criticising the Liberal government’s handling of the economy. He assured voters he would “insist the president recognises the independence and sovereignty of Canada” and end the tariffs. However, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith suggested that Poilievre’s policies would be “very much in sync” with the “new direction in America.”
Despite leading a nation facing economic and political uncertainty, Carney has yet to speak directly with Trump. The US president, who frequently mocked Trudeau as “Canada’s governor,” has so far avoided mentioning Carney by name.
Carney, 60, previously served as Governor of the Bank of Canada and later the Bank of England, where he managed the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis and Brexit. His opponent, Poilievre, 45, is a firebrand populist who has promised to “put Canada first” and defund the country’s public broadcaster.