Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a snap election to be held on April 28, just days after taking office. Mr. Carney succeeded Justin Trudeau as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, considered center-left in Canadian politics, a little over a week ago.
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03-29, 2025Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has been leading in many published Canadian polls, but increasingly strained relations with the United States have seen a resurgence in support for the incumbent Liberals. The election is expected to focus on how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently floated the idea of annexing Canada.
Mr. Carney, after visiting the Governor General of Canada and announcing the election, said he had repeatedly called the tariffs against Canada "unjust" and vowed to fight President Trump. "[Trump] wants to break us so America can have us. We will not let that happen," he said. "We are facing the gravest crisis of our lives due to President Trump's unjust trade practices and his threats to our sovereignty."
Mr. Carney also announced tax cuts for the middle class and deepened trade and defense ties with partners including the United Kingdom and France. "This week we reached a new agreement with Australia on national defense to protect Canada," he said, referring to [the purchase of $6.5 billion in new radar equipment](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-19/canada-snuck-past-trump-buy-jorn-defence-radar/105069292). President Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the 51st state and called Mr. Carney's predecessor "Governor Trudeau." He also imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and specifically doubled the rate of global steel and aluminum tariffs for Canada.
Mr. Carney accused Poilievre of being aligned with President Trump, a claim the opposition leader denied as he launched the Conservative campaign. "I will insist that the President recognize Canada's independence and sovereignty. I will insist that he stop imposing tariffs on our country," Mr. Poilievre said. "I know many people are feeling worried, angry and anxious. They have good reason to feel that way because of the unacceptable threats the President has made against our country." The Conservatives had hoped to focus the election on Mr. Trudeau, whose popularity has waned amid rising food and housing prices and a surge in immigration. But after decades of bilateral stability, the vote is expected to center on who can best deal with President Trump.
The U.S. President's aggressive rhetoric has sparked a wave of anger, with many Canadians boycotting American products and one provincial premier threatening to halt electricity exports to three U.S. states. Mr. Carney, a former central banker for both Canada and the United Kingdom, has no prior political or campaign experience. He won the Liberal leadership two weeks ago by convincing Liberal Party members that he was the best person to deal with President Trump. Laura Stephenson, a political science professor at Western University in London, Canada, said Mr. Carney's inexperience may not matter as much given the Trump factor. "There's a different comparison being made between the leaders, and what they're going to be able to do," she said. "I have a feeling that we're going to see a lot more leeway given to politicians than we usually do during a campaign."
After being appointed Prime Minister on March 14, Mr. Carney said he would seek a mandate from voters and call an early election. He could have waited until October to call the election.
