Mark Carney, who won his party’s leadership race to take over from Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister, took several shots at President Donald Trump and his administration in his victory speech on Sunday night, while strongly pushing back against Trump’s suggestions of turning his country into the 51st U.S. state.
Mark Carney, newly elected as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, delivers his victory ... [+]
Carney won the Canadian Liberal Party’s leadership vote by a landslide on Sunday, as nearly 86% of the party’s 151,899 registered members voted for the economist who previously served as the governor of both Canada and England’s central banks.
In a combative victory speech, Carney warned Canada was facing the “greatest crisis of our lifetime,” as he described Trump as “someone who is trying to weaken our economy,” by using “unjustified tariffs.”
Carney said the Canadian government has responded with retaliatory tariffs designed to have “maximum impact in the United States and minimum impact here in Canada,” as he vowed to keep them in place “until the Americans show us respect.”
The prime minister-designate said the Americans “want our resources, our water, our land, our country…if they succeeded, they would destroy our way of life.”
Carney then took a jab at the U.S. healthcare system, saying: “In America, healthcare is a big business…in Canada it is a right.”
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
“America is not Canada. And Canada will never, ever…be a part of America in any way, shape or form,” Carney said in response to Trump’s repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state. “We didn't ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves…so the Americans should make no mistake, in trade as in hockey, Canada will win.” In an interview with Fox News last month, Trump said he was serious about wanting to absorb Canada and claimed the country would “be much better off” that way. Later in his speech, Carney urged Canadians to come together and fight against “dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust.”