Ottawa: Mark Carney has defeated former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, former Government House Leader Karina Gould, and former Member of Parliament Frank Bellis to become the new Prime Minister of Canada. Carney has created history by becoming the first Canadian Prime Minister without any legislative or cabinet experience.
Following his victory, outgoing PM Justin Trudeau addressed his party members and supporters. Trudeau expressed his pride in the work done during his 10-year tenure but urged his supporters to remain active and hopeful for the future. He called it a nation-defining moment, emphasizing that democracy and freedom require constant hard work and sacrifice.
Carney's Background: A Central Banker Turned Prime Minister
Mark Carney is a well-known economist and former central banker. In 2008, he was appointed Governor of the Bank of Canada, where he made significant contributions to rescuing Canada from the recession. Impressed by his work, the Bank of England appointed him as its Governor in 2013, making him the first non-British citizen to lead the 300-year-old financial institution. He held this position until 2020 and gained popularity in Britain during the Brexit crisis for his balanced economic approach.
Carney's Tough Stand Against Trump
Carney is known as an opponent of former US President Donald Trump and has publicly criticized Trump’s policies on various occasions. During a debate last Tuesday, Carney blamed Trump's policies for worsening the economic conditions of the country. He also mentioned that rising immigration and economic uncertainty have left many Canadians struggling.
However, Carney has been careful in his approach and avoided making any controversial statements about Trump. He also remained silent on Trump's controversial statement about making Canada the 51st state of America or imposing tariffs. But after Trump recently announced a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, Carney made a strong statement saying -
"Canada will not bow down to any bully. We will fight for our workers and protect our economy at any cost."
Carney's Popularity and Challenges
Despite his victory, many political analysts believe that Carney's tenure as Prime Minister may not last long. According to a Mainstreet survey, 43% of voters supported Carney, while 31% supported former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Additionally, the Liberal Party does not have a majority in Parliament, which means Carney will have to conduct elections before October. Moreover, Carney is not even a Member of Parliament (MP), which may push him to hold early elections.
Carney's Pledge to Improve India-Canada Relations
One of the major highlights of Carney's victory speech was his promise to restore India-Canada relations, which had deteriorated significantly under Trudeau’s leadership. Carney emphasized that his government would focus on strengthening economic and trade relations with India.
"Canada wants to diversify its trade relations with like-minded countries like India. We aim to rebuild and foster better diplomatic relations with India," Carney said.
However, Carney has not yet made any public statement regarding the issue of Khalistani terrorism, which has been a major source of tension between India and Canada.
Khalistan Issue: Root Cause of India-Canada Tension
Relations between India and Canada have been strained for the past few years due to Canada’s soft approach towards pro-Khalistani terrorists. Under Trudeau's government, several Khalistani separatists were given political and social space in Canada, which created a major rift between the two countries.
Here are some examples of disputes:
- Support for Farmer's Protest (2020): During the farmer protests in India in 2020, Trudeau openly supported the protesting farmers and criticized the Modi government, which India called interference in its internal affairs.
- Khalsa Day Event (2023): During a Khalsa Day event in Toronto, pro-Khalistan slogans like "Khalistan Zindabad" were raised. Despite India's objection, Trudeau did not take any action against the organizers.
- Hardeep Singh Nijjar's Murder (2023): In June 2023, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Canada. Trudeau directly accused India of orchestrating the killing without any evidence, further damaging relations.
Due to these issues, both countries expelled each other’s diplomats and suspended trade talks. Now, Mark Carney’s government is expected to make efforts to end this deadlock and restore strong diplomatic and economic ties with India.
