OTTAWA — With the Liberal Party of Canada (PLC) leadership race fast approaching, a leading candidate appears ready to take the plunge.
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is expected to confirm that he will run to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He would have communicated his intentions to his campaign team.
Former British Columbia premier Christy Clark is also considering running. In an interview on CBC Radio’s “The House,” she said her thoughts were “very serious,” but she admitted she was disappointed with the short timetable for the race.
Candidates have until January 23 to formalize their candidacy, and the new leader will be chosen on March 9.
Several ministers who were expected to take part in the race ultimately chose not to take the plunge. This is the case of the Minister of Labor, Steven MacKinnon, and the Minister of Transport, Anita Anand, who withdrew their candidacy over the weekend.
They joined the Minister of Finance, Dominic LeBlanc, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, who did the same last week. They argued that they preferred to focus on their respective portfolios against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency of the United States.
So far, former Montreal MP Frank Baylis and Nepean, Ontario MP Chandra Arya are the only ones to have publicly declared their intention to run for the federal Liberal leadership.
The Canadian Press
