Carney, 59, kicked off his campaign to take the reins of the governing party at the Edmonton-area hockey rink where he learned to skate as a boy while growing up on the Prairies.

"I'm doing this because Canada is the best country in the world, but it still could be even better," Carney said.

The Harvard-educated Carney said he has the economic bona fides needed to steer Canada through a period of uncertainty as the country stares down president-elect Donald Trump and the threat of punishing tariffs on all our goods.

Carney said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is the "worst possible" choice to put on the other side of the negotiating table with Trump.