Canada's prime minister and his opponent kick off election saying Trump must respect sovereignty

TORONTO (AP) — New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Conservative opponent said U.S. President Donald Trump must respect Canada’s sovereignty as they kicked off their election campaigns Sunday against the backdrop of a trade war and Trump's annexation threats.

Carney announced a five-week election campaign before the vote on April 28.

“We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney said.

“President Trump claims that Canada isn’t a real country. He wants to break us so America can own us. We will not let that happen," he added.

The governing Liberals appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared a trade war. He has repeatedly said Canada should become the 51st U.S. state and has acknowledged he's upended Canadian politics.

Trump’s almost daily attacks on Canada’s sovereignty have infuriated Canadians and led to a surge in Canadian nationalism that has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.

“They want our resources. They want our water. They want our land. They want our country. Never,” Carney said at a rally in Newfoundland.

The election campaign for 343 seats or districts in the House of Commons will last 37 days. Although other parties are running, the Liberals and the Conservatives are the only two that have a chance to form a government. The party that commands a majority in Parliament, either alone or with the support of another party, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.

Carney replaced Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new leader following a leadership race.

The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But after decades of bilateral stability, the vote is now expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with Trump.

Carney said the choice for Canadians is a “Canadian Trump or a government that unites.”

“Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” Carney said in a hockey reference. “In this trade war, just like in hockey, we will win.”

Trump put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products — as well as all of America’s trading partners — on April 2.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is Carney’s main challenger. The party and Poilievre were heading for a huge victory in Canada’s election until Trump’s near-daily trade and annexation threats derailed them.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a conservative ally, said Poilievre would be “very much in sync” with the “new direction in America.”

“The content of this interview is very bad news for the Conservatives because it reinforces the Liberals’ narrative about Pierre Poilievre and his perceived ideological proximity with Donald Trump,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Poilievre said he will stand up to Trump.

“I will insist the president recognizes the independence and sovereignty of Canada. I will insist he stops tariffing our nation," he said as he launched his campaign.

“I know a lot of people are worried, angry and anxious. And with good reason as a result of the president’s unacceptable threats against our country," Poilievre said.

Carney still hasn’t had a phone call with Trump and that might not happen now until after the election. Trump mocked Trudeau by calling him governor, but he has not yet mentioned Carney’s name.

"Trump must recognize that Canada is a sovereign country," Carney said. "He has to say that, he has to accept that, before we can have a discussion about a trade agreement. ... Let's just say there is no meeting that has been planned.”

Carney, 60, was the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis. In 2013, he became the first noncitizen of the United Kingdom to run the Bank of England, helping to manage the impact of Brexit.

Carney, a political novice, said Canadians want change and he's moved the Liberal Party to the right, announcing a middle-class tax cut Sunday and scrapping Trudeau’s signature carbon tax and reversing a capital gains tax increase.

Poilievre, 45, for years the party’s go-to attack dog, is a career politician and firebrand populist who says he will put “Canada first.” Elon Musk, who is playing an integral role in the Trump administration, has endorsed and praised him.

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld//The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre greets a supporter as he campaigns at a a cafe in the Orleans community of Ottawa, on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Justin Tang /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to media at Rideau Hall, where he asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election, in Ottawa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a press conference following the First Ministers Meeting at the National War Museum on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a press conference following the First Ministers Meeting at the National War Museum on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a press conference following the First Ministers Meeting at the National War Museum on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a press conference following the First Ministers Meeting at the National War Museum on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 26, 2025--

LankaPay - Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network - announced their partnership with Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider, to launch Alipay+ acceptance in Sri Lanka at a press conference held on 25 th March 2025 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. Accordingly, over 400,000 LANKAQR merchants across Sri Lanka will be able to accept cross-border mobile payments from tourists and business traveller via 14 international e-wallets connected to Alipay+ during the first phase.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250326868333/en/

Alipay+, Ant International’s cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation solution, now connects over 1.7 billion users via 36 international e-wallets and banks apps worldwide. During the initial phase, travellers from 10 countries and regions, can simply scan the LANKAQR code at more than 400,000 merchants across the island to make payments, just as they are used to at home.

The Alipay+ partners enabled for cross-border payment acceptance in Sri Lanka in the first phase include: Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR), MPay (Macao SAR), Hipay (Mongolia), GCash (the Philippines), Changi Pay and OCBC Digital (Singapore), Touch ‘n Go eWallet and MyPB by Public Bank Berhad (Malaysia), Naver Pay and Toss Pay (South Korea), TrueMoney (Thailand), BigPay (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand), and Tinaba (Italy).

The launch of Alipay+ would represent the biggest acceptance of cross-border payments in Sri Lanka, including their partners from top inbound operators and potential markets such as Italy, Singapore, Malaysia and China, as identified by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), and other top growth markets like South Korea and Thailand. All these travellers will now be able to make seamless payments when they visit Sri Lanka, paying with their preferred home payment app/e-wallet, which not only offers added convenience to mobile-savvy customers, but also ensures more business for local merchants.

Figures from SLTDA showed steady growth in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, with visitor arrivals increasing by 38 percent in 2024, compared to the year before. For 2025, Sri Lanka is targeting 3 million tourist arrivals and US$5 billion in tourism related revenue.

Welcoming Ant International into Sri Lanka, Mr. Channa de Silva, CEO of LankaPay, stated: "We are delighted to partner with Ant International and enable Alipay+ cross-border payment solution, which signifies a landmark milestone in our global journey. This partnership connects us with international Alipay+ partner users worldwide, enabling them to make seamless payments during their visit to Sri Lanka, similar to their experience at home. This collaboration signifies our commitment to enhance payment convenience to tourists and business travellers to Sri Lanka and attract much needed foreign exchange into the country. Our aim is to support the country’s booming tourism sector with seamless and secure digital payments providing a greater convenience to the travellers whilst providing a cost-efficient digital payment acceptance mechanism to local merchants.”

LANKAQR is a national initiative launched by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to ensure all QR code-based transactions are standardized and interoperable in Sri Lanka. Introduced in 2020, LANKAQR network is managed and operated by LankaPay, providing a platform to connect consumers, banks and merchants into a single payment network across the country.

Edward Yue, General Manager for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Ant International said: “The national LANKAQR infrastructure by the Sri Lanka Central Bank and LankaPay lays a strong foundation for the digitalisation of local businesses and we’re proud to partner with LankaPay to enhance interoperability and connect global customers to the local payment ecosystem. Tourism will be a significant driving force in the global economy and based on trends we are seeing, Sri Lanka will significantly benefit, as travellers seek rich cultural, nature and unique experiences. Beyond payments, Alipay+ also enables merchants to reach travellers through new digital services directly within mobile apps, digitalising key travel scenarios, opening new channels of engagements and driving even more vibrant and inclusive growth.”

Ant International and LankaPay will enable more Alipay+ partner e-wallet acceptance in Sri Lanka and collaborate on joint marketing efforts.

About LankaPay

Incorporated in 2002, LankaPay is Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network. With a multitude of digital payment solutions, the entity facilitates domestic interbank payment solutions under the guidance of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Being one of South Asia’s most progressive payment networks, LankaPay has pioneered many payment technology innovations in the region. Owned by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and all licensed commercial banks in the country, the entity is regarded as one of the best public private partnerships in the region. In 2020, under the guidance of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, LankaPay implemented LANKAQR – a unified interoperable QR code in compliance with EMVCO standards. Currently there are 21 local banks and finance companies connected to the LANKAQR network enabling over 400,000 merchants across the island.

About Ant International

Headquartered in Singapore, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider offering a unified techfin platform to unlock next-gen commerce for all. In close collaboration with partners, they support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realize their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.antglobal.com/

About Alipay+

Ant International's Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.

LankaPay and Ant International partner to connect global consumers to local merchants via LANKAQR and Alipay+