Before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would resign, his Liberal Party was headed for an electoral wipeout, but polls show the party gaining momentum, propelled by threats from Donald Trump.
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Surveys indicate Canadians believe Mark Carney, a former central banker who is the front-runner to succeed Trudeau as Liberal leader and prime minister, would be an effective bulwark against a US president who has questioned Canadian sovereignty.
The shifting race has unsettled Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who appeared on track to easily oust Trudeau as prime minister and end a decade of Liberal governance.
The poll swing has been dramatic, with voters increasingly saying they want a leader capable of managing volatile US relations.
Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, said the Liberal polling rise currently has the Conservatives “panicking,” but stressed things can shift before the election, which could be called in weeks or put off until October.
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Carney is “the new kid on the block,” and benefiting from a freshness that may be washed away as the Conservatives focus on a new Liberal target, after hammering an anti-Trudeau message for years.