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Ottawa (AFP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday called early elections for April 28, pledging to defeat Donald Trump's drive to annex the United States' huge northern neighbour.
Carney, a former central banker, was chosen by Canada's Liberal Party to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister, but he has never faced the country's broader electorate.
That will now change as Carney brought parliamentary elections forward several months from October. He made it clear that the barrage of trade and sovereignty threats coming from the US president will be the focus of his campaign.
"I've just requested that the governor general dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28. She has agreed," Carney said in a speech to the nation, referring to King Charles III's representative in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.
In power for a decade, the Liberal government had slid into deep unpopularity, but Carney will be hoping to ride a wave of Canadian patriotism to a new majority.
"I'm asking Canadians for a strong, positive mandate to deal with President Trump," Carney said.
"We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump's unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty," Carney said.
"Our response must be to build a strong economy and a more secure Canada," he added, pledging not to meet Trump until he recognises Canadian sovereignty.
Poll favourites
Domestic issues, such as the cost of living and immigration usually dominate Canadian elections but, this time around, one key topic tops the list in this country of 41 million people: who can best handle Trump.
Kicking off his campaign in Labrador and Newfoundland, Carney told supporters on Canada's Atlantic coast that the country needed "big change" to turn its economy around and "fight Donald Trump's tariffs."
Carney, 60, has spent his career outside of electoral politics. He spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs and went on to lead Canada's central bank, and then the Bank of England.
