Montreal (Rajeev Sharma): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared China the most significant security threat facing the country, a bold statement made during Thursday night’s high-stakes English-language federal leaders’ debate in Montreal. Without direct prompting, Carney stated, “I think the biggest security threat to Canada is China,” shifting the debate’s tone to foreign policy and national security.
Carney’s remarks come amid a tense global backdrop, with his administration already benefiting from rising anxieties around US President Donald Trump’s aggressive economic and geopolitical moves. Throughout the debate, Carney consistently circled back to the evolving Canada-US relationship, emphasizing that Ottawa must now deal with Washington “from a position of strength.”
Political analysts note that Trump’s renewed trade hostility has galvanized support for the ruling Liberals, boosting their approval ratings to over 40 percent and placing them within reach of a potential majority in the upcoming April 28 election.
Conservatives Focus on Affordability Crisis
Meanwhile, cost-of-living pressures have been central to the Conservative Party’s campaign, led by Pierre Poilievre. Echoing widespread public frustration, Poilievre highlighted the economic stagnation under a decade of Liberal rule, telling voters they had a chance to avoid a “fourth Liberal term.”
He repeatedly drew attention to the waning popularity of Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, whose tenure ended amid growing dissatisfaction and a nearly 20-point Conservative lead in polls.
That lead, however, dissipated after Trudeau announced his resignation in January and formally stepped down in March. Carney, who has since taken the reins of the Liberal Party, distanced himself from his predecessor’s legacy during the debate, asserting, “I’m a very different person from Justin Trudeau.”
Foreign Interference Downplayed, India Briefly Mentioned
While foreign interference has been a recurring theme in Canadian political discourse and the subject of a detailed commission report released in January, it did not emerge as a major talking point during the debate. India was only briefly mentioned by Poilievre in reference to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports, mirroring the same reference made during the French-language debate on Wednesday.
Thursday’s debate was the final face-off before early voting begins Friday, setting the stage for a dramatic political showdown on April 28.
