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Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, launched his campaign to become Canada’s prime minister by touting his financial expertise in a country where voters remain angry at the economic handout of outgoing premier Justin Trudeau. .

Carney told a crowd in Edmonton, Alberta, on Thursday that he was making his bid during “extraordinary times” – an apparent reference to US president-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Canadians exports.

Carney, who also ran CanadaThe central banker, before moving to London in 2013, said he would make the country’s economy the strongest in the G7, which has been recognized as having very slow growth, low wages and very expensive groceries under said Trudeau, a fellow Liberal.

“I’m going to be incredibly focused on getting our economy back on track,” Carney said in Canada’s western province. “I am here to ask for your support, I am here to lead the fight.”

The Liberal contender, most recently a New York-based executive at alternative asset manager Brookfield, tried to portray himself as an outsider, in contrast to Pierre Poilievre, the conservative leader and career-long politician. which opened up a large lead. in the national polls.

“I’m not the usual suspect when it comes to politics but this is no time for politics as usual,” Carney said.

Carney’s announcement ends months of speculation about whether the former central banker will try to replace Trudeau, who has announced that he resign as Liberal leader on January 6 after months of party infighting and plummeting poll numbers.

Chrystia Freeland, whose resignation as Trudeau’s finance minister last month sparked a Liberal leadership crisis, is expected to announce her own candidacy. “I have more to say soon,” he said posted at X on Thursday. A person close to Freeland said he could launch his campaign in Toronto on Sunday.

Canada’s parliamentary system means that, like the UK, the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons has the right to form a government and become prime minister.

If Carney wins the Liberal leadership vote on March 9, he will become Canada’s next prime minister although not an elected official — unlike Freeland and Trudeau, he is not a Canadian MP. He will then lead the party in the federal election that should be held on or before October 20.

But Trudeau’s Liberal successor as leader could face an immediate vote of no confidence when parliament resumes on March 24, forcing an early election.

The power vacuum in Ottawa comes at a time of US-Canada tensions ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Monday. The president-elect has repeatedly baited Trudeau in recent weeks, describing Canada as the US’s “51st state” and Trudeau as its “governor.”

Carney resigned as chair of Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management, an asset manager with close to $1tn under management. He led the central bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

“We are sad to see him leave, but he does so to fulfill his deep sense of public service in Canada and we wish him well in his new pursuit,” Brookfield chief executive Bruce Flatt said in a statement. on Thursday.

Carney is also the chair of the board of Bloomberg and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance. Carney remains a senior adviser to Trudeau’s government.

Poilievre attacked the former central banker for supporting Trudeau’s efforts to curb Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions with one of the most aggressive carbon taxes in the west – which is unpopular in oil-rich Alberta, where it was raised Carney.

“Carbon Tax Carney supports hiking the NDP-Liberal tax on gas, heat and groceries, QUADRUPLING it on all roads to $0.61/L. As long as Like. Justin,” Poilievre posted at X on Thursday.