Mark Carney 'has what it takes' to deal with Trump, say Manitoba politicians

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 3:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The prime of Mark Carney arsenic newly-minted Liberal Party Leader is being met with applause from galore successful Manitoba, including a Liberal MP who didn't ballot for him.

"The rank was precise wide past night, resoundingly, that Mark is the idiosyncratic that they privation to spot pb the enactment moving guardant and I americium afloat supportive of him," said Winnipeg South Centre MP Ben Carr, who had publicly endorsed Chrystia Freeland to regenerate Justin Trudeau arsenic the adjacent person and premier minister.

"The infinitesimal that those results were pronounced was the infinitesimal that each of america enactment the enactment contention instantly down america and committed ourselves to moving guardant nether Mark's leadership."

Carr described Carney arsenic an exceptionally intelligent idiosyncratic with a precocious grade of acquisition that has been tested as the erstwhile politician of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 fiscal crisis, and arsenic the erstwhile politician of the Bank of England during Brexit.

That's important successful dealing with the economical compression created by U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariffs.

"Mark has what it takes to usher america done this precise hard moment," Carr said. "I person a tremendous grade of assurance successful him, and the enactment nether his leadership, to emergence to the juncture and to determination america successful the absorption that this peculiar infinitesimal requires."

Carney, who does not clasp a spot successful the House of Commons and has ne'er been elected, received 86 per cent of his party's votes successful Sunday's enactment vote.

Freeland, the erstwhile concern minister, finished successful a distant second, with 8 per cent, while Karina Gould placed 3rd (3.2 per cent) and Montreal concern person Frank Baylis finished 4th (3.0 per cent).

Carney is prime minister-designate until sworn successful by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon — for which a day hasn't yet been set.

Right prime for tariff war: Chartrand

David Chartrand, Manitoba Métis Federation president, prefers Gould wide arsenic a leader, but successful the existent clime of a tariff war, Carney is the close choice.

"You could archer she could scrap if pushed to a corner, but close now this conflict is astir economical warfare and we request to physique our champion astatine the front," helium said. "If you're going to play successful a hockey tournament, you don't privation to enactment a shot subordinate successful there.

"The aforesaid is going to spell here. We request the best-skilled with the know-how to look astatine however involvement rates and our stocks and everything tin impact the system and impact the outgo of everything you bargain connected a regular basis."

There is already a burden connected radical to provender and enactment their families, and tariffs are going to adhd to those pressures, Chartrand said.

"We request to beryllium afloat alert of the economical imaginable harm that tin beryllium caused. [Carney] has that accomplishment set."

Carney has said helium volition determination to scrap the user c taxation connected families, farmers and small- and medium-sized business, adjacent though helium erstwhile stood successful favour of them. He has besides pledged to stop a planned superior gains taxation hike.

"I don't deliberation that we, arsenic a authorities did a peculiarly bully occupation astir communicating them and helping Canadians to recognize precisely what it was we were trying to accomplish. So you larn from that and you determination forward," Carr said.

Shifting governmental landscape

Christopher Adams, political analyst and adjunct prof of political studies astatine the University of Manitoba, wouldn't remark connected the champion Liberal person candidate — saying "I'm neutral connected this" — but it's wide Carney has resonated with Canadians.

That tin beryllium seen successful however the governmental scenery has changed successful Canada, helium said. 

Recent polling shows "it's beauteous good adjacent to a necktie betwixt the Conservatives and the Liberals, whereas a period agone determination was a 20-point quality betwixt the two," Adams said.

The Liberals began closing the spread since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation. That has been helped by Trump, Adams said.

"We knew Trump was elected, but we didn't recognize the grade to which helium would fulfil his promises from his campaign," helium said.

That has become the top-of-mind contented for Canadians, whereas six months agone it was the c taxation and affordability.

Not lone is Carney's economical inheritance seen arsenic beneficial, he's besides a much centrist  — oregon small-C conservative — person than Trudeau oregon immoderate of the different candidates, which whitethorn swing some of those voters, Adams said.

The adjacent national predetermination indispensable beryllium held nary aboriginal than Oct. 20, 2025, under the fixed-date provisions of the Canada Elections Act. It tin beryllium called earlier and Carr expects that to beryllium the case.

"I deliberation it's precise apt … and I deliberation that it makes sense. We are astatine a crossroads close present and the country's Parliament has been prorogued for respective months now," since Trudeau announced his resignation successful January, helium said.

"The infinitesimal is close for Canadians to person the accidental to take who they deliberation is going to beryllium champion positioned to pb the state guardant successful the look of these immensely challenging times."

Regardless of who forms the adjacent government, Chartrand says the full state needs to get down them.

"We are successful immoderate precise uncharted waters. And we got to truly … paddle unneurotic each successful 1 direction," helium said. "This is our trial arsenic Canada."