The list of potential candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada (PLC) narrowed further on Tuesday, as Minister François-Philippe Champagne and former Prime Minister of British Columbia Christy Clark announced that they were giving up to launch into the race to succeed Justin Trudeau. Mark Carney is due to start on Thursday, we have learned The Duty.
“I thought about it a lot, and I came to the conclusion that I will not seek to become the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in the upcoming race,” said François-Philippe Champagne in front of the members of the Canadian Club of Toronto.
This was the “most difficult” decision[il] had to take in [sa] life,” he told Canadian economic journalist Amanda Lang in front of an audience of business people who punctuated his big announcement with applause. Mr. Champagne justified his decision by the need to devote all his energy to defending Canada in a context of difficult relations with the United States.
The Quebec politician did not want to promise that he will run again in the next elections in his riding of Saint-Maurice–Champlain, in Mauricie. “Can I make one decision at a time?” » he joked. He seemed moved after his vibrant plea for Canada to keep its head high, despite the threats of customs tariffs made by the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump. “I have never had so much hope for this country. If, collectively, we have this kind of energy and attitude, we will get through this. »
Christy Clark, the former premier of British Columbia, had just announced on her website that she too was giving up running for the leadership of the LPC. She justifies her decision by running too quickly, which does not give her time to reach the country’s French-speaking voters.
Mme Clark was caught falsely claiming to have never been a member of the Liberals’ main rival, the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), after the party released proof of payment for a five-dollar membership card. The politician had, however, denied on the CBC airwaves that she had formally registered to support Jean Charest during the last PCC leadership race, the one which crowned the current leader, Pierre Poilievre, in 2022.
Carney launches Thursday
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is expected to announce Thursday from Edmonton, Alberta, that he will enter the fray, the Duty a source from his entourage. Former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is due to do the same next Monday. The Liberal leader in the House, Karina Gould, also plans to launch her campaign this week. His profile has been touted in recent days by the former Liberal minister under Jean Chrétien, Sheila Copps. The current Minister of Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, is also weighing the option of getting started.
Candidates to succeed the leader have until Thursday next week, January 23, to announce whether they are running. A race for the leadership of the PLC became necessary after the announcement of Justin Trudeau’s resignation last Monday. The Liberal Party released a few days later the rules for this two-month speed race, which include an admission fee of $350,000, and by the band, the support of a donor base.
The identity of the next Liberal leader, who will also be the next Prime Minister of Canada, must be known on March 9. Federal elections should, however, be called a few weeks later, according to the stated intention of all the opposition parties to bring down the Liberal minority government at the first opportunity. This opportunity will arise at the earliest the week of March 24, upon return from a period of parliamentary prorogation.
At Trump’s inauguration
François-Philippe Champagne is due to fly to Washington on Monday, where he is due to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Donald Trump. The latter has spent the last few weeks alluding to his country’s upcoming annexation of Canada and mocking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he calls “governor”.
“I’m tired of being seen as the good guy from the North. I want to be seen as a strategic partner of choice,” said Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry on Tuesday in his demonstration that Canada must make its value known to the next American government. He also announced that he is preparing to write a book.
François-Philippe Champagne was first elected under the Liberal banner in 2015, after a career as a lawyer specializing in international trade. He was appointed by Justin Trudeau as Minister of International Trade, then Minister of Foreign Affairs during the second Liberal mandate in 2019. Minister Mélanie Joly replaced him in this position in 2021.
Over the past year, Mr. Champagne led economic missions to the United States in order to prepare for the results of the 2024 presidential election. He also led the battery sector file in Ottawa, which notably led to to a major contract for a battery factory project for the Swedish company Northvolt in Quebec.
Among the list of ministers who considered, but decided against, trying their luck to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the head of the Liberals are also Mélanie Joly (Foreign Affairs), Dominic LeBlanc (Finance), Anita Anand (Transport) and Steven MacKinnon (Labour).
With Sandrine Vieira
