Yesterday, Mark Carney was selected as the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and will soon be sworn in as Prime Minister, replacing Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau is leaving Carney enormous challenges that are now heightened by the erratic and impulsive decisions emanating from the White House and President Trump’s threats of punitive tariffs.
This is a pivotal moment for Canada. The prospect of a recession, out-of-control spending and government growth, the cost of housing out of reach for hard working families, a weak economy, regulations and red tape that turn away investors, and a full-scale trade war with our largest trading partner all demand immediate and decisive action. We need strong leadership and a clear plan to protect Canadian families, workers, businesses, and industries.
While Canada has been under threat, our Parliament has been silent, not meeting since mid-December to accommodate the Liberal Party’s leadership race – an appalling example of a party clinging to power and putting its interests ahead of the country’s.
The stakes are simply too high for our national government to be meeting and making decisions behind closed doors. Canadians deserve a say in who leads the country through these turbulent times. ICBA urges Prime Minister-Designate Carney to immediately call an election and give Canadians the opportunity to elect the government of their choosing, one that will have a new mandate to respond with strength to the threats circling us.
Failing that, he should immediately call Parliament back so that our national leaders can do their jobs.
For our part, ICBA remains steadfast in our support for Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada. We believe Canada needs a new government with fresh ideas and one that will put Canada first, get spending under control, unleash private sector investment, harness the potential of our energy and natural resource industries, and fight for jobs and opportunity in Canada.
The road ahead will not be easy. Now, more than ever, leadership matters if we are to realize the full potential of our great country.
