Carney now ‘owns’ the anti-Trump issue

If the No. 1 issue in the next election is protecting Canada from Donald Trump, and if Mark Carney is seen as the most capable one to do that, that’s a huge advantage for the Liberals. The Conservatives' only glimmer of hope is if the economy becomes more of a concern.

Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives for Question Period on Feb. 3, 2026. As Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin put it, 'The prime minister is now seen as leading the resistance among middle powers of the world to American subjugation.'The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY GERRY NICHOLLS

February 9, 2026

OAKVILLE, ONT.—According to the “multiverse” theory, which suggests our universe is just one of an infinite number of co-existing realities, there must exist a timeline where Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was elected prime minister of Canada.

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