Carney talks hard about Trump’s threat

Mark Carney victory in the race to happen to Justin Trudeau makes him not only the leader of the Liberal Party, but, by default, the next Canadian Prime Minister.

It is an extraordinary result for a man with very little political experience. He has never been chosen as a deputy, much less served in a cabinet post.

However, what Carney has, as governor of the Bank of Canada during the world financial crisis and the governor of the Bank of England during the Brexit negotiations, is a long history in global finances during economic turbulence times.

And at a time like this, Carney has been discussing, that could be invaluable.

The policy in this country has become the head as a result of what is happening south of the border, with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, launching a commercial war and threatening to turn Canada into state 51 of America.

Going to a multitude of liberal supporters after the result of the leadership contest was announced on Sunday night, Carney promised to face Trump’s threats, on rates and claims on Canada’s sovereignty.

“Canada will never be part of the United States in any way or form,” he said. “We do not ask for this fight, but the Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.

“Americans should not be wrong,” he warned. “In commerce, as in hockey, Canada will win.”

He repeatedly referred to the president of the United States by name and said that his government would maintain retaliation rates in place until “the United States shows us respect.”

However, the way in which he will translate his strong language on the stage in Ottawa in practical solutions to these twin challenges was much less clear.

Liberals could expect Trudeau’s exit from the stage, in itself, help clarify the air.

Instead of Trump’s frequent mockery by Trump as a “weak” leader, they could dare to believe that Carney can at least restore personal chemistry.

On the other hand, if you have to press hard in an attempt to gain concessions, will you also risk incurring the anger of a man who uses unpredictability as a form of political art?

A large part of that will depend on how serious is the president of the United States in his insistence that he wants to impose real economic pain to Canada and attach his territory.

And that is a difficult question to answer.

After Carney had accepted the nomination of the party, I met the former Canadian prime minister, Jean Chretien, who served for a decade since 1993 and had taken the stage earlier at night.

Did Trump think he was serious?

“You know, I don’t know,” he told me. “Do you know? Does anyone know? I am not a doctor or a psychiatrist. Change your mind every two or three hours. So (for him) to be the leader of the free world, it is worrisome for everyone.”

While the threat of the United States is dominating Canadian politics, Carney described the current situation as “dark days brought by a country in which we can no longer trust”, there are still internal political issues to concentrate also, especially the perspective of a general election.

Once sworn as a prime minister in the next few days, Carney will have to decide whether to call a quick choice. If he does not, opposition parties in Parliament could force one at the end of this month through a vote without trust.

Before Trudeau said he was renouncing, the Liberal Party faced electoral oblivion.

After nine years in power, it would become a responsibility and a lightning rod for public anger due to the growing cost of living despite the record levels of government spending and a global national debt.

The stage seemed to be prepared for liberals to be swept from power by a conservative party under the administration of the young populist leader Pierre Poilievre, who had turned Trudeau into a sport.

Now, he has not only lost the advantage of a deeply unpopular opponent, but his political style is at risk of appearing outside. In the current environment, even a loose alignment with Trump’s policy is a potential responsibility with Canadian voters.

The Republican president, meanwhile, recently said that Canada’s conservative leader was not Maga enough.

The liberal party suddenly feels a feeling of rejuvenation: the gap in opinion surveys with the conservatives, once a gulf has been dramatically reduced. And you can feel that palpable feeling of optimism in the room on Sunday night.

Aware of danger, Pailievre accused the liberals of “trying to deceive Canadians” to choose them for a fourth term. But his statement also highlighted how Trump is changing political messages on this side of the border.

“It is the same liberal team that led taxes, housing costs and food prices, while Carney personally benefited from moving from billions of dollars and thousands of jobs from Canada to the United States,” Poilievre wrote.

“We need a new conservative government that puts Canada first, to vary.”

The choice of Donald Trump has led Canada to meet to round his flag and has promoted a former governor of the Central Bank, an archetypal member of the country’s political elite, at the highest position on Earth.

Conservatives can still lead in surveys, but for the first time in a long time, liberals believe that, under Carngey, they have an opportunity to fight again.