TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will trigger an early election on Sunday for an expected vote on April 28, a government official said Thursday, a decision that was made as the country faces a trade war and sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The official, who wasn't authorized to publicly give details so spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Mr. Carney would go to Governor-General Mary Simon on Sunday and request to dissolve Parliament. Her office holds a constitutional and ceremonial role as the representative of Canada's head of state, King Charles III.
The campaign for the election, which is due by October but can be called at any time before then by a prime minister, will then officially begin.
Mr. Carney joined the Edmonton Oilers hockey team on the ice Thursday for a morning skate. Mr. Carney, a former Harvard goalie, sported a No. 24 jersey, a reference to him being the 24th Canadian prime minister.
The former two-time central banker was sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister last Friday. Mr. 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 a trade war. He has repeatedly said that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. Now, the party and its new leader could come out on top.
Trump’s economic war and annexation threats have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Many are canceling trips south of the border, and are avoiding buying American goods when they can. The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.
“This is a stunning reversal related directly to what is widely known in Canada as the ’Trump Effect,'" said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
Mr. Carney hasn't had a phone call yet with Trump since being sworn in. He has said that he’s ready to meet with Trump, if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty.
Mr. Carney was the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis. In 2013, he became the first noncitizen of the U.K. to run the Bank of England — helping to manage the impact of Brexit.
A former Goldman Sachs executive with no experience in politics, Mr, Carney has said that protecting Canadian workers and their families in the face of unjustified trade actions and growing the economy will be his top priorities.
The Conservatives and their leader, Pierre Poilievre, were heading for a huge victory in the federal election this year until Mr. Trudeau resigned and Trump was sworn in and escalated his near-daily attacks on Canada's economy and sovereignty
Mr. Poilievre, 45, for years the party’s go-to attack dog, is a firebrand populist who says he will put “Canada first.” He is a career politician who attacks the mainstream media and vows to defund Canada’s public broadcaster and cut taxes.
The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Mr. Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But after decades of bilateral stability, the vote is now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the U.S.
Trump put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products from April 2. He acknowledged that he is tougher on Canada than he is on some of America’s adversaries, telling Fox News that it’s “only because it’s meant to be our 51st state.”
Trump said that he didn't care that his trade war with Canada was boosting the Liberal Party.
Mr. Carney met with the leaders of the United Kingdom and France on his first official overseas trip, seeking support from two of Ottawa’s oldest allies.
Canada is in discussions with the European Union to join an EU drive to break its security dependency on the U.S., with a focus on buying more defense equipment, including fighter jets, in Europe. The plan includes potentially building Saab Gripen fighter jets in Canada. Mr. Carney is reviewing the remaining purchase order of U.S. F-35 fighter jets to see if there are other options “given the changing environment."
First Published: March 20, 2025, 8:59 p.m.
