An economist with no experience in politics, can Canada’s next PM tackle Trump?

A former banker with no experience in politics, Canada’s incoming prime minister Mark Carney has promised a speedy transition to a new cabinet that he says will be focused on the economy and fighting back against US tariffs.He has also vowed to rebuild ties with India as he is set to take over from Justin Trudeau after his convincing win in the ruling Liberal Party’s leadership race.Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have nosedived in recent years with the Trudeau government turning a blind eye to anti-India elements, including Khalistani extremists, in Canada.The 59-year-old was born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, on March 16, 1965, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta.He ran the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020. After helping Canada manage the worst impacts of the 2008 financial crisis, he was recruited to become the first non-Brit to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694.In 2020, he began serving as the United Nations’ special envoy for climate action and finance.Carney is a former Goldman Sachs executive. He worked for 13 years in London, Tokyo, New York and Toronto, before being appointed deputy governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003.Carney received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University in 1988, and master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Oxford University. Like many Canadians, he played ice hockey, serving as a backup goalie for Harvard. http://youtu.be/l-zYupTTZ5E?si=kU9xNhz4W4fxtH-YHolds citizenship of three nationsCarney has Canadian, UK and Irish citizenship. He has moved to eventually have solely Canadian citizenship, which is not required by law but seen as politically wise.His wife Diana is British-born and he has four daughters.His chances of remaining prime minister for more than a few weeks seem to be improving. In a mid-January poll by Nanos, the Liberals trailed the Opposition Conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre 47% to 20%. This week the latest poll has Liberals at 34% and the Conservatives at 37%. medium118896612 medium118896620A surge in Canadian nationalismDonald Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st US state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are cancelling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s chances in a parliamentary election expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving steadily in opinion polls.“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. Think about it. If they succeed they would destroy our way of life,” Carney said. “In America, healthcare is big business. In Canada it is a right.”Carney said America is “a melting pot. Canada is mosaic”. “America is not Canada. And Canada will never, ever will be a part of America in any way, shape or form.”Carney has his task cut outAfter decades of bilateral stability, the vote on Canada’s next leader now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the US.“These are dark days, dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust,” Carney said. “We are getting over the shock but let us never forget the lessons. We have to look after ourselves and we have to look out for each other. We need to pull together in the tough days ahead.”Trump has postponed 25% tariffs on many goods from Canada and Mexico for a month, amid widespread fears of a broader trade war. But he has threatened other tariffs on steel, aluminium, dairy and other products.Carney picked up one endorsement after another from cabinet ministers and members of Parliament since declaring his candidacy in January. He is a highly educated economist with Wall Street experience who has long been interested in entering politics and becoming prime minister, but he lacks political experience.The other top Liberal leadership candidate was former deputy PM Chrystia Freeland, who received just 8% of the vote. Trudeau told Freeland in December that he no longer wanted her as finance minister, but that she could remain deputy PM and the point person for US-Canada relations. Freeland resigned shortly after, releasing a scathing letter about the government that proved to be the last straw for Trudeau.Carney is expected to trigger an election shortly. Either he will call one, or the Opposition parties in Parliament could force one with a no-confidence vote later this month. medium nocaptionhttp://youtu.be/eaGmwmah-OQ?si=dVSaPEv9wXLGcEOHHe wants better ties with IndiaThe PM-designate said Canada was looking forward to strengthening ties with India.“What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trading relationships with like-minded countries. And there are opportunities to rebuild the relationships with India — there needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship and if I am the prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that,” he said.India-Canada ties witnessed tensions after Trudeau said in September 2023 in the House of Commons that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia.New Delhi, however, consistently denied the allegations, with the ministry of external affairs saying Canada has “presented us no evidence” in support of the serious allegations Ottawa chose to level against India and Indian diplomats. medium nocaptionhttp://youtu.be/mY3YPKOljbo?si=vzZ4E_wjtvaJL3VT medium118892148How Trudeau’s ties with India soured2015: Justin Trudeau becomes PM; his Liberal Party gains strong support from Canada’s large Sikh diaspora, including groups linked to Khalistan movement.2018: During Trudeau’s India visit in Feb, Jaspal Atwal, convicted in a 1986 assassination attempt of a visiting Punjab minister in Canada, is invited to official events; invite to New Delhi event rescinded following diplomatic tensions.2020: Trudeau backs farmers’ protests in India, calls their right to peaceful protest “important”; New Delhi slams his remarks as interference in its internal affairs.June 18, 2023: Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Khalistan supporter, is killed in Surrey; he was designated a terrorist by India in 2020.Sept 1: Canada pauses talks on a proposed trade treaty with India.Sept 10: At G20 summit in New Delhi, PM Narendra Modi raises concerns about Sikh separatist protests in Canada.Sept 18: Trudeau tells parliament that Canada is pursuing “credible allegations” linking Indian government to Nijjar’s killing.Sept 19: India rejects allegations as “absurd” and calls it a tit-for-tat move.Sept 22: India suspends issuing new visas for Canadians and asks Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India. India resumes visa issuance in some categories weeks later.Oct 19: Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India.Oct 29: Tens of thousands of Sikhs in Surrey gather at the gurdwara where Nijjar was killed for an unofficial referendum on an independent Sikh state.May 3, 2024: Canadian police charge three individuals for Nijjar’s killing. Authorities probe potential ties to the Indian government.June 18: House of Commons holds a moment of silence for Nijjar, killed exactly a year earlier.Oct 14: Canada expels six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner. India expels six Canadian diplomats in retaliation over allegations and accuses Trudeau of pursuing a “political agenda”.With inputs from agencies