Read Mark Carney’s full speech after becoming Liberal leader

Mark Carney delivers his first speech after being elected as the new Liberal leader with a strong first-ballot victory.

Sunday marked a pivotal moment in Canadian politics with Mark Carney taking the reins as the new leader of the Liberal Party. He addressed Canadians in his first speech as party leader, reflecting on the challenges facing the country and the values that would guide his approach to leadership. His speech focused on unity, progress, and the need for strong, collaborative efforts to tackle the issues ahead. Here is his full speech:

This room is strong. This room is Canada Strong. Thank you, Cleo. Thank you to my wife, Diana, and our children Cleo, Tess, Amelia, and Sasha. Without your support, I wouldn’t be standing here. Without your examples, I wouldn’t have a purpose. Without your love, I wouldn’t have the strength that I need for what lies ahead.

Monsieur Chrétien, you inspired my family to become Liberals, including my father to run as a Liberal candidate in Alberta in the 1980s, and myself to continue your tradition of fiscal responsibility, social justice, and international leadership.

Prime Minister Trudeau, my time doesn’t permit for me to recognize all of your accomplishments. You have combined strength and compassion as a fighter for Canada. You have led us through some of the hardest challenges that this nation has ever faced. I pledge to you, and to all Canadians, that I will work day and night with one purpose: to build a stronger Canada for everyone. I will need help. Lots of it. So, thank you to Chrystia, Frank, and Karina for the energy and ideas you have brought to this campaign. Thank you to those Ministers who have remained in their posts to serve Canada directly at this time of great peril. And to the incredible group of Liberal MPs: You are the voices for your communities and the conscience of our party. Thank you for your service.

To give a sense of that service, let me quote from a message that I and my fellow candidates received from Bob Zettel, who—full disclosure, goes to my church—actually, I go to Bob’s church as he’s there far more often than me. Anyway, Bob wrote to us, and I quote: “Right now, everyone sees the main threat as the Trump tariffs, [but] the far greater challenge will be, as it has always been, to foster unity and a sense of the common good. There are those who will seek power by dividing us and we need you to continue in positions of leadership to promote a united Canada… a commitment to the common good and a respect for justice and the rule of law throughout the world.” Right now, all Canadians are being asked to serve in their own ways. We are all being called to stand up for each other and for the Canadian way of life. So, let me ask you: Who’s ready? Who’s ready to stand up for Canada with me? Yes, Canada, the Liberal party is united and strong, and ready to fight to build an even better country.

Everything in my life has helped prepare me for this moment. Two months ago, I put my hand up to run for leader because I felt we needed big changes, guided by strong Canadian values. Values I learned at the dinner table from my parents Bob & Verlie and my three siblings Brenda, Sean, and Brian. Values that I learned at the hockey rinks of Edmonton from my coaches, such as Storman-Norman Lee. My parents were teachers who stressed the importance of hard work, community, and tolerance. My coaches were dedicated volunteers who taught me the importance of teamwork, ambition, and humility. I carried those values with me to university. I kept them close as I managed crises here in Canada and elsewhere in the world. These same values guided me in my work to build strong economies. And today, I hold on to them as we face the greatest crisis of our generation.

Canadians know that new threats demand new ideas and a new plan. They know that new challenges demand new leadership. Canadians want positive leadership that will end division and help us build together. In response, my government will put into action our plan to build a stronger economy, to create new trading relationships with reliable partners, and to secure our borders. To be clear, this will require change, big change. But I know that Canadians are ready. They tell me so across the country. People want change because they are worried. They are worried about the cost of living and the housing crisis. They are worried about the future of young people. And they are worried about Canada’s future, in the face of President Trump’s threats and a more divided and dangerous world. Now, I’m a pragmatist above all. And that means when I see something that’s not working, I’ll change it. So, my government will immediately eliminate the divisive consumer carbon tax on families, farmers, and small and medium-sized businesses. And we will stop the hike in the capital gains tax because we think builders should be incentivized for taking risks and rewarded when they succeed. Canada needs more of this type of change. Change that puts more money in people’s pockets. Change that makes our companies more competitive. Change that builds the strongest economy in the G7.

There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy. Donald Trump. Donald Trump has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell, on how we earn a living. He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed and we won’t. I’m proud of the response of Canadians who are making their voices heard and their wallets felt. I’m grateful for how Canadian provinces are stepping up to the fight. Because when we’re united, we are Canada Strong. The Canadian government is rightly retaliating with our own tariffs that will have maximum impact in the United States and minimum impact here in Canada. My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect … And make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade. In the meantime, we will ensure that all proceeds from our tariffs will be used to protect our workers.

The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. Think about that for a moment. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life. In America, healthcare is a big business. In Canada, it’s a right. America is a melting pot. Canada is a mosaic. America does not recognize differences. It does not recognize the First Nations. And there will never be rights to the French language. The joy of living, culture, and the French language are part of our identity. We must protect them; we must promote them. We will never, ever, trade them for any trade deal!

America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape, or form. We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves. So, Americans should make no mistake… In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win. But this victory will not be easy. We are facing the most significant crisis of our lives. We will have to do extraordinary things … together. We will have to build things we never imagined, at a pace we never thought possible. And above all, we must put people before money. We must unite, to build the strongest, fairest, and freest country in the world.

There’s someone else who will weaken our economy. It’s Pierre Poilievre. He just doesn’t get it. He’s that type of lifelong politician and I have seen them around the world, who worships at the altar of the free market, despite never having made a payroll. Now, in the face of Trump’s threats, Pierre Poilievre still refuses to get his security clearance. This, at a time when our national security is under threat as never before. He would undermine the Bank of Canada at a time of immense economic insecurity. Pierre Poilievre wants to shut down CBC and Radio-Canada at a time when disinformation and foreign interference are rising. He insults our mayors and ignores the First Nations when it’s time to build. He would end international aid while democracy and human rights are in peril around the world. And he would let our planet burn. Pierre Poilievre would let our planet burn. That’s not leadership, it’s ideology. It’s ideology that betrays what we as Canadians value… each other. And it is an ideology that represents a fundamental misunderstanding of how the economy works.

Unlike Pierre Poilievre, I have actually worked in the private sector. I know how the world works, and how it can be made to work better for us. That knowledge and experience is especially useful now in the service of Canadians, when we must build a new economy and create new trading relationships. Let me tell you something else that we know that Pierre Poilievre doesn’t: We know that markets don’t have values, people do. And we know, as Liberals, that it’s our job to make our markets work for all Canadians. Markets are the most powerful tool we have ever invented. They can help find solutions to our greatest problems. When markets are governed well, they deliver great jobs and strong growth better than anything. But markets are also indifferent to human suffering and are blind to our greatest needs. So, when they’re governed badly - or not at all - they’ll deliver enormous wealth for a lucky few and hard times for the rest. In this crisis, we need to help those who are hit hardest by the American tariffs and build our strength here at home. That’s the right thing to do. That’s the fair thing to do. That’s the Canadian thing to do. That’s what makes us strong.

Donald Trump thinks he can weaken us with his plan to divide and conquer. Pierre Poilievre’s plan will leave us divided and ready to be conquered. Because a person who worships at the altar of Donald Trump will kneel before him, not stand up to him. And Pierre Poilievre’s slogans aren’t solutions. His anger isn’t action. His division isn’t strength. Division won’t win a trade war. Division won’t pay the rent or the mortgage. Division won’t bring down the price of groceries. Division won’t make Canada Strong. This is where negative politics of division and anger lead. Half of the United States fears the other and distrusts them. We can’t let this happen in Canada. Americans are becoming more and more divided, which will weaken them. We will win this battle if we are united and strong. Yes, we can argue about politics. We can argue about hockey. We can even be an Oilers fan in Ottawa. It’s a free country. But when it comes to Canada, we’re all on the same team. Let’s choose to be strong. Canada strong.

I’ve learned from long experience that in a crisis, ‘plan beats no plan’, and that you need to first distinguish between what you can change and what you can’t change. We can’t change Donald Trump. We must understand what we can, and must change. We are masters in our own house. We can control our economic destiny with a plan that puts more money in your pockets. A plan that will ensure your government spends less so Canada can invest more. A plan that builds millions of homes. A plan that makes Canada an energy superpower. A plan that creates new trade corridors with reliable partners. A plan that creates one Canadian economy, not thirteen, because Canada is stronger when we are united. We can give ourselves far more than Donald Trump can ever take away. It will take extraordinary efforts. This won’t be business as usual. We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible. We will do it for the common good so that every Canadian benefits.

I care about the economy, not because I am an economist, but because I care about people. That’s why I am a Liberal, That’s why we’re Liberals. We know that the value of a strong economy begins with workers who have good jobs, well paid today, and brighter futures for the youth of tomorrow. We know, as Liberals, that we cannot redistribute what we don’t have. We know that we cannot be strong abroad if we are weak at home, and we know that we cannot build a better future if we can’t manage the present. So, when we’re fighting for a strong economy, we’re fighting for: Good Canadian health care for everyone; strong support for our seniors, who built this country; childcare for young, hardworking families; dental care and pharmacare for everyone who needs it. We’re fighting for a strong economy, so we can create a more sustainable world for our children and grandchildren, and we will deliver.

I know these are dark days. Dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust. We’re getting over the shock, but let us never forget the lessons: We have to look after ourselves and we have to look out for each other. We need to pull together in the tough days ahead.

To the families watching this evening in Fort Smith, in Edmonton, and in every community across Canada, I promise you this: Together, we can—and will—get through this crisis. We can—and will—come out of it stronger than ever because Canada is built on the strength of its people. From our mines to our ports; from our logging roads to our city streets, we’re strongest, when we’re united. When we’re one economy, not thirteen. When we can cheer for different teams, and still be one team when it counts. When we come together, we build things that last. Because we are Canada Strong.