Mark Carney was officially sworn in as Canada’s prime minister on Friday, signaling a shift in the country’s approach to U.S. relations as he expressed a willingness to work with President Donald Trump, despite looming tariff threats. Carney, 59, replaces Justin Trudeau, whose tenure was marked by tense dealings with Trump.
“We respect President Trump—he has placed critical issues at the forefront. We understand his agenda,” Carney stated after taking office, referencing his past engagements with Trump at international meetings. He emphasized their shared focus on national interests, expressing confidence in finding mutually beneficial solutions. While he had no immediate plans to speak with Trump, Carney dismissed discussions about annexing Canada as “crazy.”
Restructuring his 24-member cabinet with an emphasis on U.S. relations, Carney reduced nearly half of Trudeau’s ministerial positions. Dominic LeBlanc shifted from finance minister to international trade, replaced by François-Philippe Champagne, while Melanie Joly retained her foreign minister post.
With an election required by October 20, Carney faces a formidable challenge from the opposition Conservatives, who have long opposed the Trudeau-era carbon tax. Fulfilling his promise to eliminate the policy, Carney signed an order scrapping it during his first cabinet meeting, stating, “This will make a difference to hard-pressed Canadians.”
Carney’s ascent marks an extraordinary political rise, making him the first Canadian prime minister without significant political experience. His victory in the Liberal Party leadership race came just months after Chrystia Freeland’s surprise resignation, which catalyzed Trudeau’s departure. Freeland now serves as transport minister.
A former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, Carney leveraged his outsider status and crisis-management experience to position himself as the right leader to navigate Trump’s presidency. “We will never, ever in any way, shape or form, be part of the United States,” he affirmed.
Insiders suggest Carney may call a snap election within two weeks, as opposition parties threaten to topple his minority government in a confidence vote by the end of March. Opinion polls indicate a tight contest with the Conservatives, who previously held a double-digit lead due to economic concerns and a housing crisis. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Carney’s cabinet, stating, “100% of Carney’s ministers were in Trudeau’s caucus—helping hike carbon taxes and double the debt, housing costs, and food bank lineups.”
Carney is set to visit London and Paris next week as Canada seeks to strengthen European alliances amid strained U.S. relations.
Source: Swifteradio.com
