N.L. party leaders split opinions on newest head of federal Liberals

Political leaders in Newfoundland and Labrador are sharing mixed reviews over the federal Liberal Party's newest head.

Mark Carney won a landslide leadership vote on Sunday to become the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the country's next prime minister.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakeham said Monday he hopes Carney sticks to his word about dropping the federal carbon tax and acts quickly to remove a proposed $15 increase effective April 1.

"It's the same Liberal government with a new leader. A Liberal government that has not been kind to Newfoundland and Labrador," Wakeham said. "This 20 per cent increase that's due on April 1 should not happen."

Newfoundland and Labrador's NDP Leader Jim Dinn said he's more focused on the effort of his own party federally, but did get a sense of optimism in Carney and his supporters on Sunday.

"Certainly there is an optimism there, certainly as an antidote to Pierre Poilievre and his messaging," Dinn said. "Let's call a spade and spade, [Poilievre] has closely aligned himself, it seems, with Trump and Elon Musk and that kind of politics."

Outgoing Liberal Premier Andrew Furey was the most supportive, saying the party is strong at the federal level.

"I think he will serve Canadians well, given this time of uncertainty," Furey said.

Furey also spoke to the commitment to remove the federal carbon tax, saying Carney heard his voice, and others in the province, who were opposed.

Furey and outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have historically disagreed on the carbon tax. Furey has said it disproportionately affected Atlantic Canadians.

"Certainly in the conversations that I had with [Carney], it was something that I posed to him directly," Furey said.

"It's not a revenue generator. It's to encourage people to change behaviour. Except, as we know, there's not the ability to change behaviour especially in rural communities across our province."

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