Mark Carney sworn in as 24th Prime Minister of Canada
Appointment
6 min read
Banker Mark Carney was sworn in as the 24th Prime Minister of Canada. He succeeds Justin Trudeau who resigned as Prime Minister in January this year after being in power for nearly nine years.
Mark Carney's tenure will be a short one as he will lead his Liberal Party to the general election which will be held in October 2025.
Mark Carney’s government faces difficult ties with its closest neighbour and largest trading partner the United States of America. American President Donald Trump has imposed high tariffs on Canadian goods being exported to the United States and has repeatedly asked Canada to merge with America and become its 51st State.
About Mark Carney
59-year-old Mark Carney was elected as the leader of the ruling Liberal Party on 9th March after Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in January 2025.
Mark Carney is not a politician and neither is he a member of the Canadian Parliament.
Mark Carney has the distinction of being the head of two central banks- Bank of Canada and Bank of England.
Mark Carney was the head of the Bank of Canada and he successfully tackled the 2008 financial crisis.
In 2013 he became the head of the Bank of England and helped the United Kingdom manage the impacts of Brexit.
Brexit refers to the decision of the United Kingdom to quit the European Union.
Mark Carney is the first non-British to become the head of Great Britain’s central bank, the Bank of England.
Indian origin Minister in PM Carney's Cabinet
Prime Minister Mark Carney's 24-member cabinet consisting of 13 men and 11 women was also sworn in.
- It includes two women ministers of Indian origin - Anita Anand and Kamal Khera.
- 58-year-old Anita Anand has been appointed as the minister of innovation, science and industry.
- 36-year-old Kamal Khera has been given the portfolio of the Ministry of Health.
- They were also members of the previous Justin Trudeau government.
Constitutional system in Canada
Canada was a colony of Great Britain and it adopted the British model of Parliamentary democracy.
It was granted Dominion status (independent country within the British Empire) in 1931. In 1982 all the control of Britain over Canada was abolished.
Canada is a constitutional Monarchy where the Monarch of Great Britain is the Head of the State.
The British Monarch is represented by the Governor General who is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister for a term of five years.
Executive power
The Governor General has no real power and the real executive power is vested in the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers.
The Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers are responsible to the popularly elected House of Common of the Canadian Parliament.
The members of the House of Commons are elected for a term of five years.
Parliament
The Canadian Parliament consists of the upper house - the Senate and the lower house House of Commons.
The Senate consists of 105 members while the House of Commons consists of 388 members.
About Canada
Canada lies in the North American continent and area wise is the second largest country in the world after Russia.
It shares an 8890 km long border with the United States of America. The border also known as the 49th parallel is the longest border between two countries in the world which is not patrolled by the military.
Capital: Ottawa
Currency: Canadian dollar
Prime Minister: Mark Carney
