Election is best for country, says MP after Carney secures Liberal leadership

Canada will have a new Prime Minister on Friday when Mark Carney is sworn in after winning leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada on Sunday.

Carney, now Prime Minister-designate, won a landslide victory from party faithful over the weekend in the race to replace Justin Trudeau.

The newly-minted leader could be formally appointed Prime Minister by the Governor General as early as this week, and Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MP Leah Taylor Roy says the country “needs to go to an election soon” in order to get a mandate from Canadians.

Taylor Roy, who will be carrying the Liberal banner in the riding of Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill once again, where she will be challenged by Conservative candidate and former Richmond Hill MP Costas Menegakis, said while she was “a little disappointed” that second-place finisher Chrystia Freeland didn't get more votes four-way race that also included Karina Gould and Frank Baylis, Carney is the person “most able to help Canada at this critical moment.”

“He is new, he is a big change, he wasn't part of the Trudeau government, and perhaps he is seen as more of a change than Chrystia would have been,” she says. “I think for people who are really seriously looking at who is the right person to get Canada through the challenges that the Trump administration poses, they're going to look at Mark Carney's resume, they're going to look at his experiences, the actions he took in Canada in 2008 (with the Bank of Canada) and in England as Governor of the Bank of England and there's no comparison in my mind – and I don't think there will be anybody who isn't basing their vote on the person most experienced, most stable, most able to help Canada at this critical moment.”

Carney's win was also welcomed by Newmarket-Aurora MP – and former Newmarket mayor – Tony Van Bynen, who last year announced his decision to retire from the political sphere once the election is called.

“I think it is a necessary rejuvenation,” he says of Sunday's convention. “I think just a ton of energy was released and I think that was important for us. The last year has been pretty tough-sledding in terms of what we were dealing with and the tone of government. This was kind of a watershed moment where everybody was aligned, everybody was excited, and everybody was enthusiastic.”

At press time this week it was uncertain just when a Federal election would be called.

In Newmarket-Aurora, vying to replace Van Bynen will be Liberal Jennifer McLachlan and Conservative Sandra Cobena.

Timing aside, all candidates are ready to go, with Cobena and Menekagis spending this past weekend and the first half of this week stepping up their door-to-door canvassing.

“Given where we are, we need to go to an election soon,” says Taylor Roy. “I think it is the best thing for the country. What I feel personally is irrelevant to a certain extent; we need to do what's best for the country. I think right now, unlike (Doug) Ford, Carney really does not have a mandate from the people. The Liberal party chose him as our leader, but we need Canadians to choose him as Prime Minister. Unless there is some extenuating circumstance in the negotiations with Trump that delays this, I would expect he and all of us will be going to the polls fairly soon.

“I am looking forward to bringing a really positive message. Canadians have wanted change and we have change. We have a very strong leader, we have a very strong platform. We are giving Canadians the change they asked for. When you compare Mark Carney to Pierre Poilievre, if people are actually looking at the two, their background, experience, the choice is clear. For myself [as] someone who has a background in economics and business as well, I know Mark will be able to deal with this situation very well, that he is our best hope. He's not just our best hope, but he will get Canada through this.

“We have a fantastic leader who will be able to meet the moment. I will be very happy to go to the doors and tell people that we have brought this change, we are ready and we are, like I say, we're going to stand up to Trump and that we're going to succeed.”

By Brock Weir