Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday announced early elections for April 28 as he seeks a strong mandate to navigate the economic challenges posed by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
He met the Governor General — Canada’s official representative of King Charles — and asked her to dissolve the Parliament, formally setting the election process in motion. He later announced his decision while speaking to reporters after the meeting.
Soon after taking office Donald Trump referred to Canada as the US’ 51st state and has not ruled out economic and even military coercion to achieve that objective and has referred to Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau as “governor".
While the general elections were initially scheduled for October 20, Carney is looking to capitalise on a surprising comeback by his Liberal party in opinion polls. The party’s fortunes have improved significantly since January when Trump’s trade threats intensified and since Trudeau announced his resignation.
Carney, a former central banker with no prior political experience, secured the Liberal leadership on March 9 by convincing party members that he was best equipped to handle Canada’s growing tensions with Trump’s administration.
According to Reuters, members of the Liberal party had earlier hinted that Carney was planning an early election. Reports had earlier suggested that voting would take place on April 28, giving him a five-week window to rally public support.
Polls indicate that the Liberals, who have governed since 2015 and were initially trailing behind the opposition Conservatives, have now edged slightly ahead in popularity.
Carney has yet to hold direct talks with Trump but has maintained a measured tone, stating that he respects the US President’s approach to trade policies.
Meanwhile, the opposition Conservatives have sought to paint Carney as an elite figure planning to continue the high-spending policies of the Trudeau administration. They have also questioned the transparency of how he managed his personal financial assets while taking office.
Source: News18