Canada Liberal Party of will announce Justin Trudeau’s replacement on Sunday, as the nation grapples with rising tensions in trade with the United States that threaten to cripple its economy.
His replacement will have to negotiate right away with US President Donald Trump, who has vowed further tariffs against Canada. They will also have to deal with a potential general election against the opposition Conservatives.
Trudeau resigned in January after over nine years as prime minister, amid a dramatic fall in his popularity ratings. His resignation led the Liberals to bring forward their choice of a new leader.
Old central banker Mark Carney has taken the lead, with the most support and funding of the four candidates. A Mainstreet poll at the end of February reported that Carney was in the lead with 43% of Liberal support, while his closest competitor, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, had 31%.
Freeland, who had a major role in trade negotiations with Trump during his initial term, has had a difficult time differentiating herself from Trudeau’s policies. She quit his administration in December following a confrontation with him on fiscal policies.
Nearly 400,000 Liberal Party members were registered to vote using a ranked-ballot system of all 343 parliamentary ridings. The results of the first round will come out at 6:30 p.m. (2230 GMT).
If Carney is elected, he would be the first Canadian prime minister who has no previous political experience. He has called for retaliatory tariffs against the United States and condemned Canada’s economic performance under Trudeau.
With Parliament returning in late March, the new prime minister could be challenged in a confidence vote or could bring on an early election, which could be held on April 28 or May 5, according to reports.
