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Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, launched his campaign to become Canada's prime minister by touting his financial expertise in a country where voters remain angry over outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau's economic delivery.
Carney He told a crowd in Edmonton, Alberta, on Thursday that he was making his request in “extraordinary times” – apparently referring to US president-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Canadian exports.
Carney, who also ran Canada's central bank before moving to London in 2013, he said he would make the country's economy stronger in the G7, admitting that growth had been too slow, wages too low and groceries too expensive under Trudeau, a Liberal.
“I'm going to be very focused on getting our economy back on track,” Carney said in the Canadian province. “I came to ask for your support, to lead this fight.”
The Liberal competitor, who recently became the New York manager of the asset manager Brookfield, tried to present himself as an outsider, in contrast to Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative and long-term politician who has opened a large lead. in the national poll.
“I'm not the usual suspect when it comes to politics but this is not a time for politics as usual,” Carney said.
Carney's announcement ends months of speculation about whether the former central banker would try to replace Trudeau, who announced that stepping down as Liberal leader on January 6 after months of factional infighting and declining poll numbers.
Chrystia Freeland, whose resignation as Trudeau's finance minister last month sparked a Liberal leadership crisis, is expected to announce her candidacy. “I'll have a lot to talk about soon,” he said posted at X on Thursday. A person close to Freeland said he could launch his campaign in Toronto on Sunday.
Canada's parliamentary system means that, as in the UK, the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons has the right to form the government and become prime minister.
If Carney wins the Liberal leadership vote on March 9, he will become Canada's next prime minister even though he is not an elected official – unlike Freeland and Trudeau, he is not a Member of Parliament. He will then lead the party to the federal elections to be held on or before October 20.
But Trudeau's Liberal successor as leader could face an immediate no-confidence vote when parliament resumes on March 24, forcing an early election.
The Ottawa power outage comes at a time of US-Canada tensions ahead of Trump's inauguration on Monday. The president-elect has once again taken a dig at Trudeau in recent weeks, describing Canada as America's “51st state” and Trudeau as “the governor”.
Carney has stepped down as chairman of Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management, an asset manager with close to $1tn under management. He led the central bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.
“We are sorry to see him go, but he is doing so to fulfill his deep sense of public service to Canada and we wish him all the best in his new venture,” Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt said in a statement Thursday.
Carney is also chairman of the board of Bloomberg and UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance. Carney remains a senior adviser to the Trudeau government.
Poilievre attacked the former central banker for supporting Trudeau's efforts to end Canada's greenhouse gas emissions with one of the most brutal carbon taxes – unpopular in oil-rich Alberta, where Carney was raised.
“Carbon Tax Carney backed NDP-Liberal tax hikes on gas, heat and groceries, RAISING IT ALL THE WAY TO $0.61/L. JUST. LIKE. JUSTIN,” Poilievre posted at X on Thursday.