Canada’s Liberal Party will on Sunday announce Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s successor as the party’s leader and as head of the country’s government – amid a trade war with the United States that could cripple the Canadian economy.
The next prime minister will have to negotiate with U.S. President Donald Trump as he threatens additional tariffs on Canada and may soon face the opposition Conservatives in a general election.
Trudeau announced in January that he would step down after more than nine years in power as his approval rating plummeted, forcing the ruling Liberal Party to run a quick contest to replace him.
“Is it ideal in a circumstance of bilateral crisis for us? I suppose not,” said Drew Fagan, a professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. “But on the other hand, the process is playing out domestically as it should.”
Former central banker Mark Carney is the front-runner, with the most endorsements from party members and the most money raised among the four Liberal candidates. More here