Candidates to replace Canada's Trudeau focus on Trump

25/2/2025 12:43

The leading candidates vying to replace Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent considerable time during a televised debate on Monday discussing the need to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump.



The next election must be held by October 20 this year and until recently the official opposition Conservatives looked set for an easy win after more than nine years of Liberal rule.



But the race now is much closer, thanks to Trump's threats to impose tariffs on all imports from Canada.



Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland said during a two-hour French-language debate between the four candidates, "Trump represents the biggest threat to Canada since World War Two."



Freeland, who helped negotiate the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal during the first Trump administration, said the president at that point had vowed to wage economic war against Canada.