Mark Carney’s rival,populist Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre,was in the lead until US President Donald Trump took aim at Canada with a trade war and threats to annex the country as the 51st state.
The world is no longer standing in America’s shadow. It is learning,quickly and with no small amount of fear,how to stand on its own.
National broadcaster CBC has called the election,but it’s not yet known whether the Liberals would form a majority government.
Canadian voters will choose their next government largely based on who they think is the best person to deal with the upheaval,threats and animosity being thrown at them from Washington.
Mark Carney is leaning heavily on his outsider status in his appeal to Canadian voters,but it may not be an advantage in the long run.
Donald Trump has suggested making Canada the 51st US state. Could he? And how are (usually polite) Canadians fighting back?
Rather than jingoistic chest-thumping,Trumpism has stirred a stoical civic pride in the things that differentiate individual countries from the US.
Canadians will go to the polls at the end of April in an election that will be as much about their neighbour as their own country.
Just two months ago,Canada’s prime minister was in trouble. Then along came the US President.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join talks with world leaders on Saturday night,and is willing to consider a small deployment as a show of support.