Front Burner

Liberals enter the Mark Carney era

Can Mark Carney, the Liberal leader and Prime Minister-Designate, meet this unprecedented political moment?
A person smiles while speaking in front of a large Canadian flag.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaks after he won the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party and will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 9, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/Pool
 (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)

After a two-month race, the Liberal Party of Canada chose Mark Carney as its new leader on Sunday night. It was an overwhelming win – Carney won with 86 per cent of the vote. The Prime Minister-Designate is expected to be sworn in, in the coming days.

Paul Wells has written about Canadian politics for decades. He also has a substack under his own name.

He looks ahead to the challenges facing Carney. From figuring out the pros and cons of calling a federal election straight away, to not having a seat in Parliament, to arguably the most significant challenge of all:  managing Canada's response in a trade war with the U.S. 

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