"Canada's sovereignty is non-negotiable," says Karina Gould
Karina Gould on Sunday detailed her main priorities as a candidate to be the future leader of the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC), but also to run in the next federal election against Pierre Poilievre.
Karina Gould said at a press conference on Sunday that she wanted to "bring the voice of all Canadians to Ottawa," recalling at the beginning of her speech the importance of the country's two official languages, which for her are "an integral, primordial part of who we are."
The House Leader delivered the speech in her hometown of Burlington, Ontario, where she has been a Member of Parliament since October 2015. The day before, she had announced in a video on X that she was running for the leadership of the LPC.
She said she "became a Liberal" on October 30, 1995, the day of the second referendum on Quebec sovereignty, when she was only 8 years old. As she anxiously awaited the results on television, Jean Chrétien particularly struck her as "someone fighting for Canada" – and that remained, for her, the very essence of the Liberals.
In defence of CanadaKarina Gould also presented herself as a bulwark against Donald Trump, reaffirming that "Canada's sovereignty is non-negotiable." In the face of his threats, she has shown herself to be someone who can bring the country together to present a strong and united front.
Karina Gould
"And I can tell you that I've had to fight a bully in the House of Commons every day, so I know how to defend Canada and Canadians," she said with a smile, referring to Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.
She also took a few shots at Poilievre, calling him a "real threat" to the country, since he would like to "change the very identity and values of Canada."
She said she would suspend the carbon tax hike planned for April, let alone scrap it altogether. It also said it would help Canadians buy an electric or hybrid vehicle, or reduce emissions from their homes, to help them find effective climate change adaptation solutions.
"The industry must also do its part. We must make the biggest polluters pay," she also hammered.
The 37-year-old has repeatedly presented herself as "a middle-class child," a "normal person," a "mother" who does her grocery shopping and who knows that what matters to Canadians, from an economic point of view, is above all to "make ends meet."
Karina Gould in five steps
Early career
Born in Burlington, Ontario, Karina Gould is from an immigrant family in Canada. Originally from Czechoslovakia, his paternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. From adolescence, her career was punctuated by humanitarian experiences. Immediately after high school, she volunteered for a year at an orphanage in Mexico. There, she learned Spanish and met her husband, Alberto Gerones. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and Latin American and Caribbean studies from McGill University.
International at the heart of his work
Karina Gould's career trajectory, a strong advocate for family support, public service and international development, took a major turn after obtaining a master's degree in international relations from the University of Oxford in England. Upon her return to Canada, she worked in Toronto as a trade and investment specialist with the Mexican Trade Commission. She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she was a consultant for the Migration and Development Program at the Organization of American States.
Mother in the room
In 2015, at the age of 28, Karina Gould was first elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Burlington. She defeated Conservative Mike Wallace, who had been in office for nearly 10 years. Less than two years later, she became the youngest woman appointed as a minister in the Canadian Parliament, inheriting the Ministry of Democratic Institutions. Her son Oliver was born in 2018, making Gould the first federal minister to give birth to a child while in office and breastfeed in the House of Commons.
Daycares and passports
It was as Minister of International Development – a role she was given in 2019 – that Karina Gould became more known. She was later appointed to the Department of Families, Children and Social Development, where she played a key role in the implementation of the government's $10-a-day affordable child care program. Her term in office was also marked by the passport crisis, as she was also responsible for Service Canada. The government has been heavily criticized for the agency's processing times.
House Leader
In July 2023, Karina Gould became the government House leader, a position that forced her to debate with the Conservatives and to respond to their leader, Pierre Poilievre. Described as a strong voice for her community in Burlington,Ms. Gould continues to volunteer her time to several local organizations, including advocating for women and underrepresented groups.
Karina Gould said at a press conference on Sunday that she wanted to "bring the voice of all Canadians to Ottawa," recalling at the beginning of her speech the importance of the country's two official languages, which for her are "an integral, primordial part of who we are."
The House Leader delivered the speech in her hometown of Burlington, Ontario, where she has been a Member of Parliament since October 2015. The day before, she had announced in a video on X that she was running for the leadership of the LPC.
She said she "became a Liberal" on October 30, 1995, the day of the second referendum on Quebec sovereignty, when she was only 8 years old. As she anxiously awaited the results on television, Jean Chrétien particularly struck her as "someone fighting for Canada" – and that remained, for her, the very essence of the Liberals.
In defence of CanadaKarina Gould also presented herself as a bulwark against Donald Trump, reaffirming that "Canada's sovereignty is non-negotiable." In the face of his threats, she has shown herself to be someone who can bring the country together to present a strong and united front.
Karina Gould
"And I can tell you that I've had to fight a bully in the House of Commons every day, so I know how to defend Canada and Canadians," she said with a smile, referring to Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.
She also took a few shots at Poilievre, calling him a "real threat" to the country, since he would like to "change the very identity and values of Canada."
She said she would suspend the carbon tax hike planned for April, let alone scrap it altogether. It also said it would help Canadians buy an electric or hybrid vehicle, or reduce emissions from their homes, to help them find effective climate change adaptation solutions.
"The industry must also do its part. We must make the biggest polluters pay," she also hammered.
The 37-year-old has repeatedly presented herself as "a middle-class child," a "normal person," a "mother" who does her grocery shopping and who knows that what matters to Canadians, from an economic point of view, is above all to "make ends meet."
Karina Gould in five steps
Early career
Born in Burlington, Ontario, Karina Gould is from an immigrant family in Canada. Originally from Czechoslovakia, his paternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. From adolescence, her career was punctuated by humanitarian experiences. Immediately after high school, she volunteered for a year at an orphanage in Mexico. There, she learned Spanish and met her husband, Alberto Gerones. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and Latin American and Caribbean studies from McGill University.
International at the heart of his work
Karina Gould's career trajectory, a strong advocate for family support, public service and international development, took a major turn after obtaining a master's degree in international relations from the University of Oxford in England. Upon her return to Canada, she worked in Toronto as a trade and investment specialist with the Mexican Trade Commission. She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she was a consultant for the Migration and Development Program at the Organization of American States.
Mother in the room
In 2015, at the age of 28, Karina Gould was first elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Burlington. She defeated Conservative Mike Wallace, who had been in office for nearly 10 years. Less than two years later, she became the youngest woman appointed as a minister in the Canadian Parliament, inheriting the Ministry of Democratic Institutions. Her son Oliver was born in 2018, making Gould the first federal minister to give birth to a child while in office and breastfeed in the House of Commons.
Daycares and passports
It was as Minister of International Development – a role she was given in 2019 – that Karina Gould became more known. She was later appointed to the Department of Families, Children and Social Development, where she played a key role in the implementation of the government's $10-a-day affordable child care program. Her term in office was also marked by the passport crisis, as she was also responsible for Service Canada. The government has been heavily criticized for the agency's processing times.
House Leader
In July 2023, Karina Gould became the government House leader, a position that forced her to debate with the Conservatives and to respond to their leader, Pierre Poilievre. Described as a strong voice for her community in Burlington,Ms. Gould continues to volunteer her time to several local organizations, including advocating for women and underrepresented groups.