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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addresses supporters at his campaign headquarters on election night in Ottawa, Ontario Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP/Alamy

'Our old relationship with the US is over': Mark Carney’s Liberal Party wins Canadian election

Trump’s trade war and annexation threats outraged Canadians and made dealing with the United States a top campaign issue.

LAST UPDATE | 29 Apr

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER Mark Carney’s party has won the country’s national election, securing another term in power after convincing voters it is the party best placed to navigate the turmoil created by US President Donald Trump.

As the election polls closed, the Liberal Party were projected to win more of parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservative Party, though they may not win an outright majority, meaning they would need to rely on one or more smaller parties to form a government and pass legislation.

The win has been hailed as a stunning political turnaround for a party which had been considered doomed to fail just months ago.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has congratulated Carney on his success.

“Congratulations to Mark Carney and the Liberal Party on your election victory,” Martin wrote on social media this morning.

“Irish-Canadian relations are deep and strong, based on shared values. I look forward to working with Canada’s new government. 

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has also offered his congratulations, adding: “At this pivotal moment, we look forward to deepening the partnership between our nations, and working together to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

‘America wants our land… that will never happen’

Carney, who had never held elected office and only replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister last month, previously served as central bank governor in both Canada and Britain.

“Our old relationship with the United States, a relationship based on steadily increasing integration, is over,” Carney said in a victory speech in Ottawa.

“America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, that will never ever happen,” he said.

In his speech, Carney called for unity, reminding Canadians of the challenges posed by ongoing hostilities with the US – the issue that he put at the heart of his campaign.

“Let’s put an end to the division and anger of the past. We are all Canadian and my government will work for and with everyone,” he said.

On Trump, Carney said that his first meeting with the US President will be to discuss the future economy and security relationship “between two sovereign nations”.

“It will be our full knowledge that we have many, many other options to build prosperity for all Canadians.”

He reiterated his promise to make the Canadian economy less dependent on the US and to reduce barriers to interprovincial trade.

People in the crowd often piped up, saying, “No! Never!” when Carney mentioned Trump’s desire to claim Canadian land. 

Trump’s trade war and annexation threats outraged Canadians and made dealing with the United States a top campaign issue.

His actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power.

“We were dead and buried in December. Now we are going to form a government,” David Lametti, a former Liberal Justice Minister, told broadcaster CTV. “We have turned this around thanks to Mark,” he said.

The Conservative Party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, hoped to make the election a referendum on former prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose – but Trump attacked, Trudeau resigned and Carney, a two-time central banker, became the Liberal Party’s leader and prime minister.

In a speech conceding defeat and with his own seat in the House of Commons still in doubt, Poilievre said he would keep fighting for Canadians and their right to an affordable home on a safe street.

Historian Robert Bothwell said Poilievre appealed to the “same sense of grievance” as Trump but that it ultimately cost him with voters.

Even with Canadians grappling with the fallout from a deadly weekend attack at a Vancouver street festival, Trump was trolling them on election day, suggesting on social media that he was on their ballot and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state.

He also erroneously claimed that the US subsidises Canada, writing: “It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!”

Trump has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel US vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day.

“The Americans want to break us so they can own us,” Carney said in the run-up to election day. “Those aren’t just words. That’s what’s at risk.”

liberal-partys-supporters-cheer-on-results-at-the-party-election-night-headquarters-in-ottawa-monday-april-28-2025-nathan-denettethe-canadian-press-via-ap Liberal Party's supporters cheer on results at the party election night headquarters Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press via AP/Alamy Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press via AP/Alamy / The Canadian Press via AP/Alamy

Foreign policy had not dominated a Canadian election as much as it did this year’s since 1988, when, ironically, free trade with the United States was the prevailing issue.

In addition to the trade war with the US and frosty relationship with Trump, Canada is dealing with a cost-of-living crisis. More than 75% of its exports go to the US, so Trump’s tariffs threat and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada’s production south could severely damage the Canadian economy.

While campaigning, Carney vowed that every dollar the the government collects from counter-tariffs on US goods will go towards Canadian workers who are adversely affected by the trade war.

He also said he plans to keep dental care in place, offer a middle-class tax cut, return immigration to sustainable levels and increase funding to Canada’s public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Additional reporting from AFP and Lauren Boland

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    Mute den
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    Sep 17th 2024, 12:34 AM

    The list of 5h1te that’s happened under this government is unbelievable. Other governments have been brought down for less! Poor opposition and very poor journalists in this country.

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    Mute Pat Hazzard
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    Sep 17th 2024, 12:54 AM

    @den: Yet two-thirds of voters want the next Govt to be led by FF and FG? Perhaps full employment, budget surpluses, unprecedented housing delivery, reducing waiting lists, and reducing taxes have something to do with their sensible decision?

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 17th 2024, 1:36 AM

    @Pat Hazzard: Ahh cmere you’re just a troll or fffg lover. Mickey Martin poster over your bed or Leo?

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    Mute Brian
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    Sep 17th 2024, 2:30 AM

    @Pat Hazzard: Do they ?? Lets see, latest poll has FG on 23% and FF on 18% ..Now I know you shower in FF are bad with numbers, but even your not dumb enough to add them up and think 41% is two thirds of the electorate.. so I can only surmise you’re lying again ‘Pat’.

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    Mute another one? what's going on is the semi state sec
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    Sep 17th 2024, 7:01 AM

    @Pat Hazzard: Budget surplus?!?! We’re taxed to the hilt and they’re taking in massive VAT/income tax. Still paying austerity taxes. Their spending budget has increased 62% between 2016 to year and there is nothing to show for it. No new infrastructure. Services are creaking, IR issues and staff retention issues everywhere……Unprecedented housing delivery?!!? There was 80k+ delivered per year prior to the crash, these lot have only managed just over 30k!!!……. HSE is a shambles with budget over run every year and massive waiting lists with people having to go abroad for procedures….. What planet are you on peddling this nonsense FFG propaganda!!!!

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    Mute Tom L
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    Sep 17th 2024, 9:57 AM

    @den: Accountability of western governments was laid to rest in the 2008-2011 period, all governments formed after this are not accountable to the republic i.e. the peoples democracy, but are obliged by their masters to fulfil ‘international obligations’. In other words, these people are not working for the best interest of you or I or anyone else on this island and will do everything to stay in power to complete the wishes of the owners of Ireland Inc.

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    Mute Tom L
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    Sep 17th 2024, 10:00 AM

    @another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Him and the 34 bots that gave his comment a thumbs up.

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    Mute another one? what's going on is the semi state sec
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    Sep 17th 2024, 10:13 AM

    @Tom L: Probably all on the governments payroll

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    Mute den
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    Sep 17th 2024, 10:51 AM

    @Pat Hazzard: the money wasted on the new government printer alone would cancel out all that BS you typed.
    Yourself, Sean o’dhubhghaill, Noel Lee and brendan O’brien never made one comment on the bike shelter as ye could not defend it!
    A hole

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    Mute Teresa Ryan
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    Sep 17th 2024, 1:53 PM

    @Pat Hazzard: What country are you talking about? I’m in my 9th year waiting to see an eye specialist. Just as well I bit the bullet and paid cash 8 years ago, otherwise I’d be blind now.

    8
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    Mute Tee
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    Sep 17th 2024, 8:18 PM

    @den: be great to find who actually stole the bike shed money?

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    Mute vxQ6cYzh
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    Sep 17th 2024, 1:58 AM

    Can anyone figure this out ! A person leasing a pub in a rural Village pays his Landlord rent monthly, he has four refugees as Tenants and none of them work and they are fully subsidised. Is this Reality or are we he Irish being taken for a ride as total Gombeen’s ! ? ?

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 17th 2024, 3:06 AM

    @vxQ6cYzh: If anyone can pat Hazzard can! Tin foil and all..

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    Mute Tom L
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    Sep 17th 2024, 10:02 AM

    @vxQ6cYzh: Careful now, you might be called a bigoted racist, spreading dIsInFoRmAtIoN

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    Mute Tom L
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    Sep 17th 2024, 10:07 AM

    @Paul Gorry: These accounts are ran by the junior party of FFFG, Ógra FF and Young FG. Moronic history and iNtErNaTiOnAl DeVeLoPmEnT students from uni who are afraid of the stems and their own shadows. Future system pigs

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    Mute Teresa Ryan
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    Sep 17th 2024, 1:56 PM

    @Tom L: Wear those labels as a badge of honour

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    Mute Dermot
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    Sep 17th 2024, 12:57 AM

    Bunch a wasters.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 17th 2024, 12:12 AM

    Where’s that charlatan donnelly? Is he coming back or still in hiding?

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    Mute Pat Hazzard
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    Sep 17th 2024, 12:52 AM

    @Paul Gorry: you must live in a tin foil lined cave as he’s been on numerous media programmes in recent days

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 17th 2024, 1:18 AM

    @Pat Hazzard: Minister for fail.Appointed in 2020 and jumped on the ff bandwagon. Left all the hard work to tony houlihan. Recent days are just smoking mirrors. A failure for sure. Maybe ask that young child’s family that was taken of the scoliosis list what they think of the charlatan?

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Sep 17th 2024, 4:38 AM

    @Paul Gorry: or that young girls parents in UHL.

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Sep 17th 2024, 4:43 AM

    @Willie Marty: sorry paul thats directed to Pat FF Hazzard.Donnellys seat is under fair pressure now Pat.Harris has a high profile running mate in Wicklow.

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    Mute Colette Byrne
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    Sep 17th 2024, 10:43 AM

    @Pat Hazzard: keeping quiet on the poor lad taken off urgent list for scoliosis surgery in CHI. Without informing his parents, leaving him Unable to breath and in terrible pain daily, unable to eat, or go to school
    Must be having meetings with the CE to how do we get out of this one Ted.

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    Mute Gerard McMonagle
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    Sep 17th 2024, 6:40 AM

    One thing everyone of them politicians does is,talk complete muck and expect the ordinary person put up with it again,I can’t stand them

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Sep 17th 2024, 7:35 AM

    the list of advantages and things they can claim is unbelievable, even when they are not active anymore.
    you want to make changes, start by that.

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    Mute reg morrisey
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    Sep 17th 2024, 9:09 AM

    All the things they’ve made a balls of and now I hear Phil Hogan is coming back. The public does not want you back Phil no matter what voices your hearing in your head

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Sep 17th 2024, 9:09 AM

    you would not know they were gone .

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    Mute Alan Moloney
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    Sep 17th 2024, 11:16 AM

    @Dominic Leleu: wish day never came back give the working man nothing as usual

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    Mute Okiec 666
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    Sep 17th 2024, 11:29 AM

    Sure that’s a grand holiday they all had off for the summer with so many problems that need fixing.

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    Mute Andy Paralegal
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    Sep 17th 2024, 11:40 AM

    Bonkers dot IE will sort out the comparison among the political parties on who will be able to afford a roast leg of lamb in the next budget

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    Mute Conor Garvey
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    Sep 17th 2024, 4:38 PM

    This is a very bad government but have to say the opposition is absolutely terrible no wonder the government will get back in

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