'Who is going to face Mr Trump': Canada leaders' debate dominated by US crisis

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the key question in Canada's upcoming election is who is best to deal with Donald Trump as he faced his Conservative rival in a French-language leaders' debate on Wednesday. Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said during the debate Canada needs change after a decade of Liberal party rule and Carney is just like his predecessor, Justin Trudeau. Carney responded: "Mr Poilievre is not Justin Trudeau.

I'm not Justin Trudeau either. In this election the question is who is going to face Mr Trump." The exchange was the first between the two men since Carney was elected Liberal leader in March.



Trump's trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st state have infuriated Canadians and led to a surge in Canadian nationalism that has bolstered Carney's Liberal party poll numbers ahead of the 28 April vote. The debate took place in Montreal, the largest city in predominantly French-speaking Quebec. The province has 78 of the 343 seats in the House of.

.. Guardian staff reporter.