Canadians will vote in parliamentary elections on April 28, facing a choice between two contrasting candidates amid challenges posed by President Trump’s tariffs and ongoing economic and social issues.
Mark Carney, 60, the leader of the Liberal Party and current prime minister since early March, is a political newcomer with an extensive background in central banking and global finance.
Pierre Poilievre, 45, the leader of the Conservative Party, has a long-standing political career and is well-known to voters, having carefully crafted his agenda and public persona.
Other candidates include Jagmeet Singh of the New Democrats, focusing on health care, and Yves-François Blanchet of the Bloc Québécois, which only fields candidates in Quebec. However, Carney and Poilievre are viewed as the primary contenders for the position of prime minister.
Mark Carney, a former central banker, entered politics by winning the Liberal Party leadership last month, succeeding Justin Trudeau. His background in monetary policy and finance has positioned him as a competent deal-maker, although critics label him an elitist.
Carney is campaigning for a parliamentary seat in a middle-class Ottawa neighborhood. He was born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. With a family background in education, he is married to British economist Diana Fox Carney and has four children. His education includes degrees from Harvard and Oxford.
Presenting his political inexperience as a strength, Carney positions himself as an outsider capable of addressing Trump’s tariffs and guiding the country through economic challenges. His previous roles include serving at Goldman Sachs and as governor of the Bank of Canada, where he helped avert a financial crisis during the U.S. banking collapse. He also led the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, navigating the British economy through Brexit.
Pierre Poilievre has been active in Conservative politics for two decades, becoming Canada’s youngest member of Parliament at age 24 in 2004 and later serving as a cabinet minister under Stephen Harper. Known for his aggressive political style, Poilievre has utilized three-word slogans to resonate with Canadians dissatisfied with Trudeau’s governance.
Like Carney, Poilievre hails from Alberta and was raised by teachers. His campaign, which highlights issues such as crime, living costs, and national security, includes promises to reduce taxes and limit government size. Despite initially being favored to lead the Conservatives to victory, Poilievre's momentum shifted following Trudeau's resignation and the emergence of Carney as a fresh candidate.
Public opinion research indicates that Poilievre has faced challenges due to comparisons with Trump, particularly in their shared views on mainstream media and government. Nevertheless, he has been credited with modernizing the Conservative Party through the use of political consultants and voter profiling, achieving record fundraising levels.