Mark Carney to Replace Justin Trudeau as Canada's Next Prime Minister

Mark Carney has been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party and is set to replace Justin Trudeau as the Prime Minister of Canada, according to a report by CTV News. Carney secured victory on the first ballot in a leadership race triggered after Trudeau announced his decision to step down in early January following mounting internal party pressure and the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Carney, the former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, emerged as the frontrunner over the past two months and will assume office as Canada’s next Prime Minister in the coming days. He defeated fellow contenders, including former cabinet minister Karina Gould, former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, and businessman and former Liberal MP Frank Baylis.

A total of 151,899 party members cast their votes in the leadership race, which used a ranked-ballot system that gave equal weighting to each riding. The majority of party loyalists backed Carney, securing his path to leading the Liberal Party and heading into a likely imminent federal election. Recent polls suggest a tightening race between the Liberals and the opposition Conservative Party.

Despite his new role, Carney has never held elected office and is not currently a Member of Parliament. It remains unclear in which riding he will run, though he has confirmed his intention to seek a seat in the House of Commons in the next election.

Prior to the leadership announcement, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reflected on the Liberal Party’s accomplishments over the past decade while addressing supporters at the Liberal Leadership Convention. In his speech, Trudeau stated, “I am damn proud of what we've done over these past 10 years for the middle class and the people working hard to join it.”

He emphasized the responsibility of the party to ensure Canada remains “the best country on Earth.” In one of his final addresses as Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader, Trudeau warned, “Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given. None of those happened by accident. None of them will continue without effort.”

Trudeau also reflected on the party’s resurgence under his leadership since 2013, when the Liberals were in third place in the House of Commons. “It’s when you try to count us out that we Liberals show our true mettle,” he remarked. He also acknowledged the contributions of his longtime photographer, Adam Scotti, and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, both of whom have been with him for over a decade.

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