OTTAWA — Liberal MPs are convening on Parliament Hill this afternoon to strategize following the selection of their new leader, former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
With his decisive victory behind him, Carney now faces a packed agenda. Over the coming days, he must be sworn in as prime minister, assemble his cabinet, and refine the party’s strategy ahead of the next federal election. However, the precise timeline for these critical steps remains uncertain.
An early election call is widely anticipated in the near future as the Liberals seek to capitalize on the surge of momentum generated over the past two months. Political analysts suggest the party is eager to secure a fresh mandate before the opposition has time to recalibrate.
Carney’s leadership win was emphatic, securing 86 percent of the vote—an endorsement reminiscent of past party leadership races. His closest competitor, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, finished a distant second, acknowledging afterward that her path to victory was always steep given the strong institutional support behind Carney.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives wasted no time in criticizing the outcome, dismissing it as a mere coronation. Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre framed the transition as a political maneuver designed to extend Liberal rule, calling it a “sneaky” swap of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Carney in a bid to secure a fourth term.
As Carney steps into his new role, the political landscape is shifting rapidly. Whether his leadership will be enough to reshape the Liberal party’s fortunes at the ballot box remains the pressing question in Ottawa.
