Mark Carney could be Canada's shortest-serving prime minister

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 3:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Mark Carney was sworn successful arsenic Canada's premier curate connected Friday — and depending connected the result of the adjacent election, helium could beryllium the country's shortest-serving leader.

Former premier curate Charles Tupper presently holds that distinction, serving successful the relation for conscionable 69 days successful 1896.

Given that Carney is expected to telephone an predetermination earlier March 24 — the time Parliament is acceptable to instrumentality — it's imaginable that helium could person a shorter clip successful bureau than Tupper if the Liberals suffer the adjacent national vote.

Federal campaigns indispensable beryllium betwixt 37 and 51 days successful length, according to Canada's predetermination rules, and predetermination time indispensable autumn connected a Monday (with a fewer exceptions).

An predetermination telephone wrong the adjacent fewer weeks would enactment voting time successful precocious April oregon aboriginal May — depending connected what time the writ drops and the magnitude of the campaign. 

Sources speaking to CBC News person pegged April 28 and May 5 arsenic 2 apt imaginable predetermination days. That would mean Carney would person betwixt 46 and 52 days arsenic premier curate earlier the vote.

Recent polls person shown a resurgence successful Liberal enactment successful the past fewer weeks, but CBC's Poll Tracker inactive suggests that a Conservative triumph is the astir apt outcome. But adjacent if the Liberals lose, Carney wouldn't halt being premier curate close away. There would beryllium a modulation period.

Carney himself was sworn into bureau successful grounds time, but typically modulation tin instrumentality a fewer weeks. Justin Trudeau was sworn into bureau 16 days aft winning the 2015 predetermination and Stephen Harper was sworn successful 14 days aft the 2006 vote. Jean Chrétien was sworn successful wrong 10 days of winning the 1993 election.

If the predetermination is connected the aboriginal day of May 5, a modulation play of 16 days would springiness the Liberal person a full of 68 days successful the premier minister's seat — 1 abbreviated of Tupper.