The leading candidates vying to replace Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clashed over how to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade threats in a televised debate Monday, as the race tightens ahead of the October 20 election.
Once seen as an easy win for the opposition Conservatives, the contest to lead Canada has become more competitive following Trump’s pledge to impose tariffs on all Canadian imports, a move that could trigger economic turmoil.
"Trump represents the biggest threat to Canada since World War Two," former finance minister Chrystia Freeland said during the French-language debate between the four Liberal candidates.
Freeland, who helped negotiate the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement under Trump’s first administration, warned that the president previously sought to wage economic war against Canada but that his current threats were even more severe.
"This time, Trump’s threats are worse—he wants to make Canada the 51st state," she said. Canada sends 75% of its exports to the U.S. and could fall into a recession if trade barriers are enforced.
Mark Carney, a former central banker and the current front-runner, dismissed the idea that Trump could succeed in pressuring Canada.
"At this moment, Canada is facing the worst crisis of our lives... I know how to handle crises," he said, pointing to his experience leading the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and later the Bank of England during Brexit.
Both Carney and Freeland said Canada must respond forcefully if Trump follows through on his tariff threats.
Freeland’s resignation in December after nine years in cabinet triggered a political crisis that ultimately led to Trudeau announcing his resignation last month. The new Liberal leader will be chosen on March 9.
The Conservatives, seeking to capitalize on Trudeau’s unpopularity, dismissed the debate as a contest between interchangeable candidates. In a statement titled "Sneaky Carney Must Come Clean With Canadians," they claimed there was no difference between Trudeau and the leading contenders.
The remaining candidates, former cabinet minister Karina Gould and retired legislator Frank Baylis, will join Carney and Freeland for an English-language debate on Tuesday, as the campaign battle intensifies.
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France, Germany and the UK have told the United Nations they are prepared to reinstate sanctions on Iran unless it returns to talks over its nuclear programme, the Financial Times reported.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the United States next month to attend the UN General Assembly, where he may hold talks with President Donald Trump, the Indian Express reported.
U.S. and Chinese trade officials plan to meet again in the coming months to discuss their economic relationship, as the two countries extended a tariff truce for 90 days.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
France, Germany and the UK have told the United Nations they are prepared to reinstate sanctions on Iran unless it returns to talks over its nuclear programme, the Financial Times reported.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the United States next month to attend the UN General Assembly, where he may hold talks with President Donald Trump, the Indian Express reported.
President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday, informing him about his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska later this week, according to the Kremlin.
On Tuesday, a lawyer for California told a federal judge that the Trump administration’s use of National Guard troops in Los Angeles during immigration enforcement operations was illegal, violating the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA), which restricts military involvement in civilian policing.
On Tuesday, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a $5.55 billion credit plan to support exporters affected by recent U.S. tariff hikes, with additional backing through government purchases expected.
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