Honolulu Star Bulletin - Carney vows to lead 'united Canada' against Trump after election win

Carney's Liberals will form the next government but were waiting to see if they secured a majority, with a handful of races in Canada's 343 electoral districts still uncalled.

They may fall just short of the required 172 seats, but the public broadcaster CBC has not called the race, saying the outstanding vote in several seats could tip the Liberals over the line.

Following a campaign dominated by Trump's tariffs and annexation threats, Carney promised to chart "a new path forward" in a world "fundamentally changed" by a United States that is newly hostile to free trade.

"We will win this trade war and build the strongest economy in the G7," Carney said.

"It is time to be bold, to meet this crisis with the overwhelming positive force of a united Canada," he added, stressing the need to work across party lines.

His victory was an extraordinary comeback for the Liberals, who until recently looked headed for an electoral wipeout.

Pierre Poilievre's Conservative Party had been on track to win the vote but Trump's attacks, combined with the departure of unpopular former prime minister Justin Trudeau, transformed the race.

Carney, who replaced Trudeau as prime minister just last month, convinced voters that his experience managing economic crises made him the ideal candidate to defy Trump.

He led the Bank of Canada through the 2008-2009 financial crisis and headed the Bank of England through the turmoil surrounding the 2016 Brexit vote.

"If Donald Trump hadn't been there, the Conservatives probably would have won," said University of Ottawa political scientist Genevieve Tellier.

- 'Partisan truce' -

Poilievre lost his own seat in a shock, but indicated he would seek to stay on as opposition leader.

Conceding defeat on Tuesday, he promised to work with the Liberals to counter Trump.

"We will always put Canada first," Poilievre told supporters in Ottawa.

"Conservatives will work with the prime minister and all parties with the common goal of defending Canada's interests and getting a new trade deal that puts these tariffs behind us."

Despite the defeat, the 45-year-old Poilievre led the Conservatives to their best performance in several elections, setting them up as a forceful opposition in parliament.

The Tory leader was criticized for only showing limited anger towards Trump, but said he wanted to keep the campaign's focus on domestic concerns.

The leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois Yves-Francois Blanchet, whose party will be the third-largest in parliament, also pledged unity against Trump.

He called for "a partisan truce," in a parliament that "will have to face Donald Trump."

"I sincerely believe that Quebecers, and Canadians, expect the new parliament to be stable and responsible during the negotiations," with Washington, Blanchet said Tuesday.

- Trudeau's influence -

British leader Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were among the first to congratulate Carney.

China's foreign ministry said it was "willing to develop China-Canada relations on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit."

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was keen to grow relations with Ottawa and "unlock greater opportunities for our people."

Canada has accused New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Canadian who campaigned for Sikhs to secede from India -- a claim which Modi's government has denied, and led to the near-collapse of Canada-India relations in Trudeau's final months in office.

On January 6, the day Trudeau said he would resign, the Conservatives led the Liberals by more than 20 points in most polls, as public fury over soaring costs mounted.

He said the former prime minister did not focus enough on growing Canada's economy and scrapped a controversial Trudeau carbon tax that left many voters seething.

R.Pilialoha--HStB