TORONTO (AP) — New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will trigger a snap election on Sunday, a government official familiar with the matter said Thursday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly said the vote is expected to take place on April 28.
The official says Carney will go to the governor-general on Sunday and request to dissolve Parliament. The governor-general holds a constitutional and ceremonial role as the representative of Canada’s head of state, King Charles III.
The former two-time central banker was sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister on Friday as the country faces a trade war brought by US President Donald Trump and threats of annexation.
Carney, 60, replaced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new leader.
The governing Liberals had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war. He has repeatedly said Canada should become the 51st state of the US. Now the party and its new leader could come out on top.
Trump’s trade war and and annexation threats have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Many are cancelling trips south of the border, and are avoiding buying American goods when they can. The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.
Carney has not had a phone call yet with Trump despite being sworn in last Friday. He has said he’s ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty.
Carney navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis, and then in 2013 when he became the first non-citizen to run the Bank of England — helping to manage the worst impacts of Brexit in the UK.
A former Goldman Sachs executive with no experience in politics, Carney has said protecting Canadian workers and their families in the face of unjustified trade actions and growing the economy will be his top priorities.
Canada’s federal Conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre were heading for a massive victory in Canada’s federal election this year until Trudeau resigned and Trump was sworn in and escalated his near daily attacks on Canada’s economy and sovereignty
Poilievre, 45, for years the party’s go-to attack dog, is a firebrand populist who says he will to put “Canada first.” He is a career politician who attacks the mainstream media and vows to defund Canada’s public broadcaster and cut taxes.
