Canada Votes Amid US Tensions as Carney, Poilievre Battle for Power
Canadians head to the polls today to elect a new government, with rising tensions over US President Donald Trump’s trade policies dominating the campaign.
Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau last month, faces a tough challenge from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Once trailing by 20 points, the Liberals surged ahead after Trump’s threats triggered a voter backlash.
Carney, a former central bank chief in Canada and Britain, has pitched himself as the steady hand needed to confront US pressures, warning that “America wants to break us, so they can own us.”
Poilievre, focusing on domestic issues like inflation and housing, accused Carney of offering more of the same Liberal leadership that, he says, weakened Canada’s resilience.
Final polls show a tight race, with the Liberals slightly ahead. Nearly 29 million Canadians are eligible to vote for 343 parliamentary seats, with 172 needed for a majority.
