Canada's next PM Carney vows to win trade war as Ontario plans electricity tariffs on US

Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney is widely considered the frontrunner in this leadership race.

He’s sought to position himself as the man who can steer the country through the fallout caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“In a situation like this, you need experience in terms of crisis management, you need negotiating skills,” he said during a leadership debate last month.

Carney, who was born in Canada’s Northwest Territories and then spent his formative years growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, has been serving in recent months as a special economics adviser to Justin Trudeau.

He has long been considered a contender for the top job, though the Harvard graduate has never held public office. Trudeau himself admitted that he had long been trying to recruit Carney to his team.

But Carney has tried to distance himself from the unpopular prime minister, saying he is “not the only Liberal in Canada who believes that the prime minister and his team let their attention wander from the economy too often”. Trudeau’s approval ratings have however improved since Trump’s return to office.

Carney brings with him expertise on environmental matters through his role as the United Nations special envoy on climate action, recently calling the goal of net zero “the greatest commercial opportunity of our time”.