Mark Carney has solidified his position as prime minister of Canada after his Liberal Party won the country’s national election held yesterday (April 28) with the electorate reportedly influenced by his opposition to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and controversial pledge to make the country the 51st state of the U.S.
In his victory speech, Carney emphasized the importance of humility as a foundational value for his government in the years ahead. He also promised to represent all Canadians, regardless of how they voted.
“I am going to begin with the value of humility and by admitting that I have much to be humble about,” said Carney. “Over my long career I have made many mistakes and I will make more but I commit to admitting them openly, to correcting them quickly and always learning from them.
“Humility underscores the importance of governing as a team in cabinet and in caucus in working constructively with all parties across parliament, of working in partnership with the provinces and territories, and with indigenous peoples. And at this time it underscores the value of bringing together labor, business, civil society to advance the nation building investments we need to transform our economy.”
The prime minister warned that humility also involved “preparing for the worst, not hoping for the best” as a responsibility of a government. He also spoke against the vitriolic approach of U.S. President Donald Trump by allegedly threatening the autonomy of Canada.
“As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. Never! But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never ever happen!”
In a speech to his fellow Conservative voters, the opposition party leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat.
“We know that change is needed but change is hard to come by. It takes time, it takes work and that’s why we have to learn the lessons of tonight so that we can have an ever better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country,” said Poilievre.
Carney’s Liberals won after promising to make the country “stronger,” confirmed a press release, with a plan to build the fastest growing economy in the G7 countries.
Promises brought before the electorate before the election included confronting U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs in a widely publicised global trade war, deemed “unjust” for Canadians.
The former governor of the Bank of England, now leading Canada, promised to cut taxes for 22 million Canadians, promising this would benefit middle and low income earners the most.
A housing plan was also promised, “the most ambitious” since the Second World War, with a pledged 500,000 new homes per year. Other promises included protecting Canada’s public health care system, including adding “thousands of new doctors.”
Another pledge by the Liberal Government has been to ambitiously make the country become “the world’s leading energy superpower,” juxtaposed with lower emissions at the same time by combining conventional energy resources with “our unlimited potential when it comes to clean, affordable energy.”
On social media, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) congratulated the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament. They also thanked "the many Canadians who exercised their democratic right to vote, those who ran as candidates and those who worked for Elections Canada."
"Please pray for our country and for those who represent us. 1 Tim 2:1-2," they added.
Before the election, the EFC published a brochure titled Faith, Voting and Political Engagement, which provided guidance to Canadian Christians in the lead-up to the election and emphasized the importance of prayer.
“When Christians vote, we actively seek the good of those around us and our country (Jer. 29:5-6),” reminded the EFC. “Voting is one way Christians can contribute to society and the public good. Our participation in discussions about public policy and politics, like our engagement in all of life and community, is part of our witness.”
“Scripture calls us to pray for our leaders. Let’s invite God to work in the hearts and minds of all Canadians and pray for the future of our country,” the brochure added.
The EFC encouraged prayer for candidates, voters, elected officials, and the nation as a whole, referencing Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
