Canada’s incoming prime minister promises quick transition after meeting Trudeau

(Reuters)

OTTAWA, March 10 – Former central banker Mark Carney, fresh from a landslide victory to become the leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party and the country’s next prime minister, met Justin Trudeau on Monday and said the formal handover of power would be quick.

Liberal members on Sunday bet on Carney as the man best placed to take on U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened annexation as well as launching a trade war and punishing tariffs on the longtime ally.

Trudeau is still prime minister until Carney formally takes over the role.

“That transition will be seamless and it will be quick,” Carney said after meeting Trudeau. The Globe and Mail newspaper said Carney was likely to be appointed on Thursday or Friday.

Carney, asked about his relations with Trump, declined to answer on the grounds that he was not yet prime minister. Politico had earlier said the two men could speak as early as Monday.

Liberal sources say Carney, who also met the Liberal parliamentary caucus, will soon call for a general election.

“We know this is a crucial time for our country. We are united to serve Canadians,” he told reporters.

Trump’s move to impose tariffs on America’s northern neighbor has triggered an angry backlash in Canada, where provinces pulled U.S. alcohol off shelves and urged people to buy Canadian products instead.

“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country … if they succeed, they will destroy our way of life,” Carney said in his acceptance speech late on Sunday.

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said on Monday it was imposing a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to New York state, Michigan and Minnesota in protest.

“President Trump’s tariffs are a disaster for the U.S. economy,” said Premier Doug Ford, adding that he would not hesitate to cut off electricity exports if necessary.