(Adds Trudeau call with Obama)
By Allison Lampert and Randall Palmer
MONTREAL/OTTAWA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Canada's Prime
Minister-designate Justin Trudeau, who came from behind to
trounce his Conservative rivals and snatch a majority mandate,
now has to deliver on pledges from tackling climate change to
legalizing marijuana.
Trudeau, who had also promised to withdraw Canada from
combat in the coalition fight against Islamic State, said he
told U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday that Canada will
pull out of the bombing mission but maintain humanitarian aid
and training.
The White House had earlier said it hopes the new Canadian
government will continue to support the efforts of the U.S.-led
coalition to fight Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.
"He understands the commitment I've made around ending the
combat mission," Trudeau told reporters.
Trudeau, who campaigned on a promise of change, toppled
Stephen Harper's Conservatives on Monday, giving him the freedom
to start implementing his campaign pledges largely unimpeded.
He struck a chord with Canadians weary of nine years of
Conservative rule. Harper resigned as party leader after the
defeat.
The 43-year-old son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
swept to victory with 39.5 percent of the popular vote in an
election that saw the highest voter turnout since 1993.
The Liberal leader will have to quickly start delivering on
his promises to change policy, beginning with a U.N. climate
change summit in Paris in December. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N12K2Q0
Trudeau plans to double spending on infrastructure to
jump-start anemic growth. In addition, his Liberals plan to
begin working on legalizing marijuana "right away," Trudeau said
during the campaign. He has said marijuana laws could be changed
within the first two years of his government.
"To this country's friends all around the world, many of you
have wondered that Canada has lost a compassionate and
constructive voice in the world over the past 10 years," Trudeau
told jubilant supporters in Ottawa. "Well, I have a simple
message for you on behalf of 35 million Canadians: we're back."
The win marked a turn in political fortunes that smashed the
record for the number of seats gained from one election to the
next. The center-left Liberals had been a distant third-place
party before the vote. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N12I0LF
"When the time for change strikes, it's lethal," former
Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said in a television
interview.
Trudeau attacked Harper relentlessly for turning Canada into
a "pariah" on climate change issues. He pledged to attend the
Paris conference, and then convene the country's provincial
premiers within 90 days to create national emissions targets
under a framework that would allow provinces to set a price on
carbon.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Harper's defeat will
not affect Kerry's decision on whether to approve the
controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline between the two
countries.
Trudeau backs Keystone and has vowed to repair cool
relations between Ottawa and Washington.
The Liberal leader said he did not raise Keystone in his
conversation with Obama and made "a point of staying much
broader in our conversation."
Choosing a cabinet will be one of Trudeau's top priorities
before he and his ministers are sworn in. Trudeau said he would
unveil his cabinet on Nov. 4.
Former Canadian Finance Minister Ralph Goodale is among
seven top contenders to run that department, a senior adviser to
Trudeau said. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N12K2KW
The Liberals plan to run a C$10 billion annual budget
deficit for three years to invest in infrastructure and help
stimulate Canada's anemic economic growth.
Stock investors cheered the Liberal victory, betting it
would loosen government purse strings to kick-start growth.
Shares of construction firms and railways rose on the
Toronto Stock Exchange along with heavyweight resource and
financial stocks. .TO
Canadian medical marijuana stocks also were higher.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N12K172
Liberals' strong showing removed the uncertainty that could
have resulted from a minority government, and while the new
administration plans to run deficits, it has also said it would
keep corporate tax rates steady.
The Canadian dollar CAD=D4 strengthened as fiscal policy
could limit the need to cut interest rates. CAD/
"People are breathing a sigh of relief and they are looking
for those areas that should show a positive impact from what the
Liberals were talking about," said Irwin Michael, portfolio
manager at ABC Funds.
Trudeau, a telegenic father of three, also returns a touch
of glamour, youth and charisma to Ottawa.
Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper asked "Is Justin Trudeau
the sexiest politician in the world?" while an Australian news
website was more direct: "The votes are in and Canada has come
out of its election with a super hot new leader."
Trudeau kicked off his first morning as prime
minister-designate by greeting astonished voters at a Montreal
subway station in his home constituency.
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Graphic: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/canada-election/
More stories on Canada's election urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N12G1ER
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(Writing by Amran Abocar; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, James
Dalgleish and Lisa Shumaker)