Mark Carney Becomes Canada’s Prime Minister: Navigating U.S. Tensions and Economic Challenges

Mark Carney, the new Canadian Prime Minister

New Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney has called for a snap election on April 28 to remain Prime Minister. With former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepping down, relations between the United States and Canada will only continue to develop. In Prime Minister Carney’s short-lived time in power, he has made some intriguing comments about President Trump and the United States. Like President Trump, Carney made a name for himself outside of politics and then transferred into the political world. Mark Carney’s rise to power in Canadian politics is relatively unknown to the American public. This article examines Prime Minister Carney’s background and how he might affect relations between Canada and the United States. 

Carney’s Background 

Mark Carney, born in Northwest Territory Canada on March 16th, 1965, earned his bachelor's in economics at Harvard and PhD at Oxford. Carney has spent some time working for Goldman Sachs where he worked and lived abroad. In 2003, Carney returned to Canada to work for the Bank of Canada. From 2003-2007, Carney served as a deputy governor of the Bank of Canada when he was appointed to the Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2008. He served as the Governor of the Bank of Canada until 2013 when Carney accepted the same position at the Bank of England. In March of 2020, Carney left the Bank of England. After his time at the Bank of England, Carney spent some time serving as an advisor to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on issues such as Canada’s response to Covid-19. There was speculation about Carney becoming the minister of finance for Canada. Only 10 days after Trudeau’s resignation, Carney announced his bid for leadership within Canada’s liberal party and ended up winning the election. Now, he currently serves as Canada’s Prime Minister.  

Carney and the United States 

Prime Minister Mark Carney is assuming power at the most strenuous time in Canadian history. Since President Trump’s rise to power, American and Canadian relations have taken a turn for the worse. With President Trump hitting Canada hard with tariffs and making comments challenging Canadian sovereignty, Carney has inherited a turbulent situation. The main selling point of Carney’s bid for Prime Minister is his staunch background in economics. Many in the Liberal party and Canada as a whole, have confidence in Carney’s ability to counter President Trump’s tariffs. President Trump and the United States have already put tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and have threatened to tariff Canadian lumber and dairy.

On the same day Carney announced the upcoming snap election, he said that President Trump “wants to break us so America can own us”. As Prime Minister, all has indicated that Carney will try to the best of his ability to resist American pressure. President Trump has said multiple times that Canada should become America’s 51st state and that the border between America and Canada is just an artificial line. If the United States were to pursue acquiring Canada as the 51st state, it would certainly be by military means. With the mix of the United States’ vastly superior military, and the flat geography surrounding Canada’s eastern major population centers in proximity to the American border (Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal), the United States could have swift military success. It is uncertain whether President Trump has any plans to back up his statements or if they are just diplomatic plays. Either way, Carney must tread carefully. Carney told reporters “We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty.” The situation that Carney and Canada are now in is not easily navigable. Unfortunately for Carney, his time as Prime Minister will revolve around how he handles diplomatic relations with the United States.