Canada Polls: Can Mark Carney stand up to Trump? Will Conservatives continue to favour US President? 4 things to know

Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Conservative opponent kicked off their election campaigns on Sunday. Amid a trade war and Trump's annexation threats, Carney announced a five-week poll campaign before the vote on April 28.

Carney said that the US President Donald Trump must respect Canada’s sovereignty.

“We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney said.

“President Trump claims that Canada isn’t a real country. He wants to break us so America can own us. We will not let that happen," he added. Here's a peek into 5 things that could shape Canada's election campaign.

The election is no longer about Trudeau

The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But after decades of stability in bilateral ties with the US, the vote is now expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with President Trump.

Carney said the choice for Canadians is a “Canadian Trump or a government that unites.”

“Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” Carney said, invoking a hockey term. “In this trade war, just like in hockey, we will win.”

Trump announced 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminium and is threatening more on all Canadian products — as well as all of America’s trading partners — on April 2.

Who are fighting the elections?

Although other parties are running, the Liberals and the Conservatives are the only two groupings that have a chance to form a government. The party that commands a majority in Parliament, either alone or with the support of another party, will form the next government, and its leader will be the prime minister.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is Carney’s main challenger.

The election campaign for 343 seats or districts in the House of Commons will last 37 days.

Conservative to endorse Trump or ready to stand up to him?

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a conservative ally, earlier commented Poilievre would be “very much in sync” with the “new direction in America.”

“The content of this interview is very bad news for the Conservatives because it reinforces the Liberals’ narrative about Pierre Poilievre and his perceived ideological proximity with Donald Trump,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Elon Musk, who is donning an integral role in the Trump administration, has endorsed and praised him.

However, Poilievre said he will stand up to Trump.

“I will insist the president recognises the independence and sovereignty of Canada. I will insist he stops tariffing our nation," he said as he launched his campaign.

“I know a lot of people are worried, angry and anxious. And with good reason as a result of the president’s unacceptable threats against our country," Poilievre said.

Who can deal with Trump better?

Canadians know their next PM will have no choice but to deal with Donald Trump. So the question in everyones mind right row is who can deal with Trump better.

Carney and Poilievre have very different resumes, per a BBC report.

Carney, a former central banker, is new to politics. He took over from Justin Trudeau, becoming Canada’s first unelected prime minister. He has global experience but is seen as lacking skills essential for political campaigning. This general election will be his first real test.

Poilievre, 45, became party leader in 2022. First elected to the House of Commons at age 25, he has two decades of experience in federal politics, including time in cabinet, and is known for his political acumen. He was initially campaigning with the tag line "Canada is broken" has now become "Canada first", indicating that he is ready to stand up for Trump.

(With inputs from agencies and BBC)