Mark Carney never accepted any interim political position in the jinxed Justin Trudeau government. Instead, he chose the hard way of bagging the party leadership position through an open, transparent and democratic election process that lasted less than two months. At the end of it, he overcame symbolic resistance from “bigwigs” of his predecessor’s government, like his Deputy and Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, and the Leader of the House, Karina Gould. But the overwhelming vote and support from the registered party delegates – 85.6 percent – was indicative of the choice the party made – putting their faith in a financial wizard rather than those with proven political acumen.

Chrystia Freeland may have tackled the threats and challenges US President Donald Trump may have posed during his first term in the office, but things, including geopolitics the world over, have changed dramatically. There are major unresolved conflicts, including the Russia– Ukraine war and the Israel – Hamas attrition.

Mark Carney has not only to see Donald Trump eye-in-eye but also handle Canada’s global standing that got some severe hits in the recent years.

Canada’s role in the Indo-Pacific region, its political and trade relations with China and bilateral relations with India have been the subject of considerable debate in the recent past.

What options does Mark Carney have to see Canada through its current international crises? How is he going to handle the imminent challenge of the main Opposition parties in the House of Commons who have been sharpening their scalps for a feast on the minority Liberals with no-confidence motions?

Political circles are agog with speculations that Mark Carney would avoid a no-confidence motion in the House of Commons that is scheduled to resume its sitting on March 24 after a long recess.

Instead, he, as a new Prime Minister, may walk to the office of Governor-General with a recommendation to dissolve the House of Commons and order fresh federal elections.

Ever since Justin Trudeau announced his decision to quit both as Leader of the Liberal Party as well as the Prime Minister of Canada, the party graph has started moving up the curve.

Pollsters predict that a shorter election campaign would be beneficial for Mark Carney on his first major political battle of ballot as the main Opposition party, the Conservatives, under Pierre Poilievre have been trying desperately to take advantage of their popularity graph that had till the turn of the year put them “far ahead” of all others in the ensuing federal elections.

Things are changing and changing rapidly. The ball is in the court of Mark Carney. How he conducts himself as the new Prime Minister in the first 10 days will determine not only his future but also that of the Liberals, as well as of Canada.

For the strong Indo-Canadian community, Mark Carney got instant acceptability. Not only were most of the sitting Liberal MPs supportive of his leadership campaign, but various socio-cultural institutions of South Asian communities also backed him.

Business tycoon Baljit Singh Chadha of Montreal, for example, was among the first to host an interaction with leaders of business and trade with Mark Carney. Sikh Gurdwaras and Hindu Temples, too, lapped up the opportunity to declare their support for him in the leadership run-up campaign.

When he constitutes his new team – Cabinet and Parliamentary Secretaries – though for a short period, he may give the Indo-Canadian community its due as was done by his predecessor.

Time is a great factor. Between March 14 and March 24 lays hidden the future of Canada and its politics!

(Prabhjot Singh is a Toronto-based award-winning independent journalist. He was celebrated by AIPS, the international body of sports journalists, for covering ten Olympics, at its centennial celebrations held at UNESCO Centre in Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games. Besides, he has written extensively about business and the financial markets, the health industry, the public and private sectors, and aviation. He has worked as a political reporter besides covering Sikh and Punjab politics. He is particularly interested in Indian Diaspora and Sikh Diaspora in particular. His work has also appeared in various international and national newspapers, magazines, and journals. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)