Liberals split on how quickly to proceed with choosing new leader

OTTAWA — Attention is turning quickly in Ottawa to who will replace Justin Trudeau who announced Monday he will step aside as prime minister and Liberal leader as soon as a new leader is chosen.

But some former Liberal advisers are split on how quickly the process should move.

With Parliament set to resume March 24, there’s little time for Trudeau’s successor to actually lead before the government surely falls at the earliest confidence vote.

But having a quick leadership race provides little time for the party electorate to get to know the candidates.

No sitting MP has formally declared their intention to run but speculation is already buzzing in Ottawa about who may vie for the job.

Among them are Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, whom the New York Times profiled last month as Trudeau’s potential successor and former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, whose shock resignation shortly before the Christmas break served as the catalyst for renewed calls for Trudeau to step down.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, House Leader Karina Gould, Transport Minister Anita Anand, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson are also all said to be kicking the tires of a possible run.

Other high-profile candidates who may seek the leadership former B.C. premier Christy Clark and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who have both been subject to Conservative attack ads in recent weeks.

In a statement, Carney said he is “encouraged and honoured” by the support he has been hearing from Liberal MPs and Liberals across the country who want the party to move forward “with positive change and a winning economic plan.”

“That’s what it will take to defeat Pierre Poilievre, to get Canada back on track and to build the strongest economy that works for all Canadians,” he said. “I’ll be considering this decision closely with my family over the coming few days.”

Former Montreal MP Frank Baylis was the first to publicly declare his intent to seek the Liberal leadership in an interview Monday with The Hill Times.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2025.

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press