Author: Craig Munro

Mark Carney will soon take over from Justin Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister (Picture: Reuters) Mark Carney has performed many significant roles in his life, as the only person to serve as the head of the central bank for two different countries. But one thing he’s never done is serve in elected office – an odd situation for a man who’s about to become the 24th Prime Minister of Canada. Last night, Carney was victorious in the contest for the Liberal Party leadership sparked by the resignation of long-serving PM Justin Trudeau, achieving a stunning 85.9% of the vote. His backers argue his economist’s instincts are exactly what’s needed to counter the tariffs and broader threats – including annexation – coming from their neighbours to the south. In his victory speech yesterday, Carney said: ‘The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. ‘Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.’ It was an extraordinary statement to hear from an incoming Canadian PM, but there is no doubt he faces an extraordinary set of challenges in the weeks ahead. Beyond Tweety McTreason’s tariffs, which were imposed last week, Carney will also have to contend with a Canadian federal election which could result in him being booted out of office with almost Liz Truss-like rapidity. What is Mark Carney’s background? Mark Carney was born in the remote town of Fort Smith in Canada’s Northwest Territories, far enough north that the night does not get fully dark on the summer solstice. He soon moved south to the city of Edmonton in Alberta and was brought up there. Carney remains a fan of local ice hockey team the Oilers. In February 2008 he was picked as the new governor of the Bank of Canada, just in time for global markets to be rocked by the financial crisis. Five years later, he was chosen to become the governor of the Bank of