Prime Minister Mark Carney, projected to form the next federal government, spoke to an excited crowd in Ottawa on early Tuesday morning.
During his victory speech, Carney promised to “think big” and lead a government that represents all Canadians. He acknowledged that while millions of Canadians didn’t vote for him, he would “always do [his] best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.”
While votes are still being tallied in some parts of the country, it is unclear as of 2:37 a.m. Eastern on April 29 whether the Liberals will form a majority or minority government.
Here is the transcript of Carney’s remarks.
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I have a question. Who’s ready? Who’s ready to stand up for Canada with me? And who’s ready? Who’s ready to build Canada strong? Okay, we got that settled. That’s good.
I want to thank the leaders of the other parties. I want to salute the contribution of Jagmeet Singh. I notice his remarks. Elizabeth May will be returning and Yves Francois Blanchet. And I want to congratulate Pierre Poilievre on a hard-fought fought fair good campaign, his commitment to the country that we both love. They all have many, many more contributions to our land.
Thank you, Diana. Thank you, Diana, for your work on this campaign. Thank you Diana, for the commitment and compassion you bring to everything that you do. Tonight simply would not have been possible without you and without the support of our four children, who inspire me to service every single day.
I also want to salute the women and men who put their name on the ballot from all parties. Thank you for standing up to serve our country at this critical time.
And for those who were elected, particularly those Liberals who were elected, I am looking forward to working together to deliver for Canadians. Yes, Bruce Fanjoy. I’m looking forward to working with Bruce Fanjoy. Fantastic. He will be a great MP. We’re gonna have fun today, yes. We’re gonna have fun.
You know I chose to enter politics because I felt we needed big changes in this country. But big changes guided by strong Canadian values.
Values that I learned at the dinner table from my parents, Bob and Verley and from my siblings. I appreciate this more in retrospect from my siblings Brenda, Sean, and Brian.
Values that I learned on the ice from my coaches, values that have been reinforced as I’ve met with Canadians across this great country. And those include three values that I want to highlight this evening. Humility, it is Canada after all. Ambition, it’s Canada after all and unity — it’s Canada.
These are good values. These are Canadian values that I will do my best to uphold every day as your prime minister.
I am going to begin with the value of humility and by admitting that I have much to be humble about. Over my long career, I have made many mistakes, and I will make more. But I commit to admitting them openly to correcting them quickly and always learning from them.
Humility underscores the importance of governing as a team in cabinet and in caucus and working constructively with all parties across Parliament. Of working in partnership with the provinces and the territories and with Indigenous peoples.
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And at this time, it underscores the value of bringing together labour, business, civil society to advance the nation-building investments we need to transform our economy.
Humility is also about recognizing that one of the responsibilities of government is to prepare for the worst, not hope for the best.
As I’ve been warned, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, that will never ever happen.
But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed. There is also, for me as I stand before you this evening, humility in recognizing that many have chosen to place your trust in me, trust in the Liberal Party. Millions of our fellow citizens preferred a different outcome.
And my message to every Canadian is this: no matter where you live, no matter what language you speak, no matter how you voted, I will always do my best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.
You know during this short during this short campaign, I went to Saskatchewan and Alberta a couple of times, even though you know we’re Liberals, it’s tough out there. But I went because I intend to govern for all Canadians.
My government will work for you all.
So, as we come here after this consequential, most consequential election, let’s put an end to the division and anger of the past. We are all Canadian and my government will work for and with everyone.
I began with humility, but Canadians are ambitious. And now, more than ever, it is a time for ambition. It is a time to be bold to meet this crisis with overwhelming positive force of a united Canada. We are going to build, build baby, build.
Throughout our history, there have been turning points. Throughout our history there have been turning points when the world’s fortunes were in the balance.
That was the case at the start of the Second World War, just as it was at the end of the Cold War. And each time, Canada chose to step up. To assert ourselves as a free, sovereign, and ambitious nation, to lead the path of democracy and freedom. And because we are Canadian, to do so with compassion and generosity.
We are once again, we are once again at one of those hinge moments of history.
Our old relationship with the United States, a relationship based on steadily increasing integration, is over. The system of open global trade anchored by the United States, a system that Canada has relied on since the Second World War, a system that well not perfect has helped deliver prosperity for a country for decades, is over.
But it’s also our new reality.
We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons. We have to look out for ourselves and above all we have to take care of each other.
When I sit down with President Trump, it will be to discuss the future economic and security relationship between two sovereign nations. And it will be with our full knowledge that we have many, many other options than the United States to build prosperity for all Canadians.
We will strengthen our relations with reliable partners in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
We will chart a new path forward because this is Canada and we decide what happens here.
We will need to think big and act bigger. We will need to do things previously thought impossible at speeds we haven’t seen in generations.
It’s time to build twice as many homes every year with an entirely new housing industry using Canadian technology, Canadian skilled workers, Canadian lumber.
It’s time to build new trade and energy corridors working in partnership with the provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples.
It’s time to build hundreds of thousands of not just good jobs, but good careers in the skilled trades.
It’s time to build Canada into an energy superpower in both clean and conventional energy.
And it’s time to build an industrial strategy that makes Canada more competitive while fighting climate change. We will build an economy with a government committed to free trade in Canada by Canada. The point is is that we can give ourselves far more than the Americans can ever take away.
But even given that, I want to be clear, the coming days and months will be challenging, and they will call for some sacrifices. But we will share those sacrifices by supporting our workers and our businesses.
Canada is more than a nation. We are and we always will be a confederation. A sacred set of ideas and ideals built on practical foundations that we know were not always perfect, but we always strive to be good. We do things because they’re right, not because they’re easy and we see kindness as a virtue, not as a weakness.
Most importantly, we know that our strength lies in our resolve to work together as a country. It relies on our unity.
You know, on the second day of this campaign, I went to Gander, where on 9/11, they welcomed thousands of passengers into their homes without question or hesitation. I sat down with two of the many heroes of the time, Diane Davis and Bula Cooper.
And during our conversation, they showed me a thank you card that they’d received from a young girl called Ellie who wrote, ‘Your kindness motivates me to use my kindness’. That touching phrase captures what Canadians instinctively know, that virtue is like a muscle that grows with its exercise.
We become just by doing just acts, brave by doing brave acts. When we are kind, kindness grows. When we seek unity, unity grows. When we are Canadian, Canada grows.
And united, our history, we have done hard, seemingly impossible things. United, we have built one nation in harsh conditions, despite a sometimes hostile neighbour.
Yes, they have form on this, the Americans. United, we have confronted our own past with Indigenous peoples. United, we have created universal public health care. And now, in the face of this crisis, united, we are buying Canadian. We are exploring everything this country has to offer.
We are supporting our friends and neighbours in the crosshairs of President Trump through a crisis that we did not create. United and build the strongest economy in the G7, an economy that works for everyone.
We will fight back with everything we have to get the best deal for Canada.
We will protect our workers and businesses, and above all, we will build an independent future for our great country. A future that makes the greatest country on earth even better.
Together, we will build a Canada worthy of our values. We will build Canada strong, Canada free, Canada forever. Vive la Canada. Thank you very much.
