Canada faces ‘once-in-a-life-time crisis,' warns newly-elected PM

Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out the priorities of his new Liberal government Friday and pulled no punches about the threats facing Canada.

“We are in a once-in-a-life-time crisis,” Carney said at his first press conference since winning the national election on Tuesday, referring to tariffs on Canadian goods imposed by Trump.

The tariffs will play havoc with the Canadian economy and they are widely seen as a Trump ploy to weaken Canada, forcing it to become the 51st American state.

To withstand these pressures will force “the biggest transformation of the economy since the Second World War,” Carney said.

Trump's on-again off-again tariff on Canadian imports to the US has caused a major economic upheaval in America's northern neighbor.

It is this tension that simmers between the two countries and Carney will have to engage Trump and steer though turbulent waters.

Carney claimed during the election campaign that culminated in his victory earlier this week that he was the best candidate to guide Canada through the trade war and end Trump's ongoing threat to annex Canada.

He will get his first chance next week. Carney said he will travel to Washington to meet Trump on May 6 and while he expected the meeting to be cordial, Carney said he will “stand up to President Trump.”

At the press conference, Carney also vowed to strengthen the armed forces, beef up the border and add 1,000 members to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Liberals won 168 seats which gave Carney a strong minority but not the 172 necessary to have a majority, meaning he would have to partner with one of the other political parties at times to get legislation passed through parliament.

In the four days since the election, Carney has set a furious pace, meeting with EU leaders, King Charles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.