'Elbows up' Can Carney ride wave of anti-Trump sentiment?

In January, Canadian pollsters and political pundits struggled to find fresh ways to describe the bleak prospects of Justin Trudeau's Liberal party, musing whether it would be a wipeout of existential proportions, or merely a catastrophic blowout.

- By Leyland Cecco

But fresh polling shows a stunning reversal of fortunes for the party. New prime minister Mark Carney's Liberals are projected by some to secure a majority government in the election called for 28 April, a contest expected to focus on the strained relationship with the US amid threats to Canada's economic and political future.

"We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetime because of President [Donald] Trump's unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty," Carney said last weekend, while announcing the election. "He wants to break us, so America can own us. We will not let this happen. We're over the shock of the betrayal, but we can never forget the lessons. We have to look out for ourselves. We have to look out for each other."

By calling the election in search of a "strong, positive mandate", Carney does not have to face a hostile parliament - a showdown complicated by the fact that he doesn't have a seat in the House of Commons. Parliament had been due to return this week after being prorogued for two months, after Trudeau's resignation announcement in early January.