Author: David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada’s ruling Liberal Party is looking for a new leader to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced on Monday that he intends to step down.
The name of the winner will be announced on March 9.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said on Friday she would not attend, citing her official responsibilities. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Wednesday he will not run, citing the same reason.
Here are some of the remaining top prospects.
FORMER MINISTER OF FINANCE CHRISTIA FREELAND
Freeland, 56, was one of Trudeau’s closest allies during his nine years in office and was finance minister when she unexpectedly resigned last month after a spending spat and wrote a letter attacking the prime minister’s leadership and his love of “political tricks.” “.
Freeland, the most prominent cabinet member since Trudeau, has been finance minister since August 2020 and helped craft the government’s multibillion-dollar social spending program to help fight the COVID pandemic.
She previously served as foreign affairs minister and led the Canadian team that successfully renegotiated the trilateral trade agreement with the United States and Mexico after then-President Donald Trump threatened to terminate the agreement.
She entered the government in November 2015, first being the Minister of Trade. Before entering politics in 2013, Freeland worked as a journalist and in senior editorial roles at several media companies, including the Financial Times, Globe and Mail and Reuters where she worked from 2010 to 2013. She has also written two books.
FORMER BANK OF CANADA GOVERNOR MARK CARNEY
Carney, 59, is the only major candidate who is not part of Trudeau’s government. Carney’s name has been floating around as a potential Liberal leader for years, largely thanks to his financial records. Carney said in a statement Monday that he would consider whether to run in the next few days.
He worked for Goldman Sachs before joining the Canadian Ministry of Finance in 2004. He was appointed governor of the Bank of Canada in 2007 and quickly had to deal with the consequences of the global crisis in 2008. In 2013, he took over as governor of the Bank of England, becoming the first person to head two large central banks.
Carney predicted the economic damage that would occur if Britain leaves the European Union, prompting attacks from Brexiteers. After leaving the bank in 2020, he was appointed as the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance. He is currently a vice president at Brookfield Asset Management (TSX:).
INNOVATION MINISTER FRANCOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE
Champagne, 54, is a trusted couple who worked as a lawyer and businessman before joining the government in 2015. Known for his fiery demeanor and eternal good humor, he was minister for trade, infrastructure and foreign affairs before taking up his post current role in January 2021. As Minister of Innovation, Champagne led efforts to attract billions of dollars in foreign investment in the electric vehicle and automotive battery sectors. Efforts have recently faltered in many parts of the world, including Canada.
ANITA ANAND, MINISTER OF TRANSPORT
Anand (57) is a former law professor who entered parliament in November 2019 and became procurement minister. When the 2020 COVID pandemic broke out, she led efforts to stock up on personal protective equipment and tests at a time of enormous demand, and also advocated for vaccine supplies. The venture was largely successful, and in October 2021, Trudeau appointed her to the more prominent role of defense minister, charged with trying to stamp out a culture in the military of what the government acknowledged was sexual abuse. In July 2023 she was appointed head of the Treasury Committee, which has overall control over government spending, and in September 2024 she was also asked to be transport minister after her predecessor resigned. Last month, she was appointed permanent minister of transport.
MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES JONATHAN WILKINSON
Wilkinson, 59, a former businessman who spent years working for green technology companies, was environment minister from 2019 to 2021 before taking up his current post. Wilkinson has had to strike a balance between acting as a defender of the sector while also working in a government that wants to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector. He also advocated easing the process of obtaining permits for mining companies so that it would not take several years for a new project to be launched.
Other possible candidates mentioned in the domestic media are the current leader of the House of Representatives Karina Gould (37) and the former Prime Minister of British Columbia Christy Clark (59).
