EGN NEWS DESK
OTTAWA — A former journalist who didn’t flinch throughout commerce negotiations with Donald Trump. An economist and former central banker with the resume to deal with Canada’s housing disaster. And a longtime political fixture who has a rapport with Donald Trump. These are the main candidates to switch Justin Trudeau, who introduced his resignation Monday within the face of rising opposition.
Trudeau mentioned he’ll step down as Liberal chief as quickly as his party finds his substitute.
That means he won’t lead the Liberals into Canada’s subsequent federal election, scheduled for October however way more prone to happen this spring. The prime minister additionally pulled the plug on the present session of Parliament, paving the best way for a management race.
Trudeau introduced his exit plan with simply two weeks to go earlier than President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Trudeau has held energy for 3 phrases since 2015, however cussed inflation, a housing affordability disaster, and voters’ want for change tanked his reputation.
Here’s a fast have a look at the potential contenders who might substitute the Liberal chief:
Mark Carney
former BANK GOVERNOR
The former Bank of Canada governor and financial adviser to the Liberal Party has been reaching out to Liberal MPs as he prepares to launch a management bid. His energy can be his financial and local weather coverage, an space Liberals have taken a beating on in recent times as Canada offers with a housing disaster and cost-of-living hangover following years of excessive inflation.
He’s thought-about to be one of many high contenders, however some inside the party view him as not retail-politician prepared. The two-time former central banker, in Canada and the U.Okay., has by no means run for workplace. He’s already being painted by Conservative detractors as being “identical to Justin,” attributable to his help of Canada’s carbon worth.
Chrystia Freeland
former deputy prime minister
The former deputy prime minister’s backers insist she’s the most viable substitute for Trudeau as a result of she’s most acknowledged by Canadians and boasts a rolodex that would come in useful as Canada readies for a attainable commerce battle with the United States.
In 2013, Trudeau handpicked the previous journalist to steer his financial advisory group. She entered Parliament that yr. In authorities, Freeland helped finalize a commerce deal between Canada and the EU when she was worldwide commerce minister. As overseas affairs minister, she helped renegotiate NAFTA throughout Trump’s first administration. As finance minister, she spearheaded a coordinated effort amongst Western allies to slap large sanctions on Russia.
But her relatability to Canadians is commonly misplaced in translation. She struggled to attach with households on cost-of-living points by saying she reduce her family’s Disney+ subscription, and downplayed affordability considerations, saying in November that Canada was experiencing merely a “vibecession.”
Christy Clark
former premier of British Columbia
Last October, the previous premier of British Columbia made it recognized she was within the Liberal management. At the time, dozens of MPs had been calling on the prime minister to resign. If Trudeau had been to step down as chief, Clark mentioned: “I’d need to be a part of the dialog on the longer term route of the Liberal Party and of the nation.”
Some MPs contemplate Clark the proper decide as a result of Conservatives can’t tie her to 9 years of Trudeau’s authorities in Ottawa.
Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs
LeBlanc is thought round Ottawa as Trudeau’s “fixer,” typically selecting up information, together with the previous Public Safety portfolio, that had been as soon as plagued with scandal. He can be growing relationships with the incoming Trump administration, having twice visited Mar-a-Lago since Donald Trump was elected — on one go to, even eating with the president-elect.
LeBlanc is a long-term pal of the PM’s. He even babysat Trudeau once they had been youthful. His father, former Governor General Romeo LeBlanc, was a longtime Cabinet minister below former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
He’s recognized for his silver-tongued communication, and his laid-back model of politicking might resonate with Canadians. But his closeness to Trudeau and his insurance policies might harm him if he tries to hunt management. Additionally, LeBlanc comes from a privileged household, and the Liberals have struggled to fend off assaults from Conservatives that they’re out of contact.
He’s additionally not untarnished by his personal scandal. In 2017, LeBlanc was discovered to have breached conflict-of-interest guidelines as fisheries minister after he authorised a profitable fishing license for an organization run by a member of the family.
François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
The business minister is from Quebec, a seat-rich province that usually carries strategic significance for events that aspire to kind a majority authorities.
Known as Cabinet’s “Energizer Bunny,” Champagne has been influential in revolutionizing Canada’s auto business by securing offers with Stellantis, Volkswagen and Honda to assist construct up the nation’s EV battery provide chain. He’s additionally been an instrumental a part of Team Canada’s attraction offensive prematurely of a second Trump administration. For months, he met with lawmakers within the U.S. in an effort to construct bridges with Democrats and Republicans.
Mélanie Joly
overseas affairs minister
The overseas affairs minister was invited by Trudeau to turn out to be an MP after her unsuccessful mayoral race in Montreal, the place she had a surprisingly robust end. The Oxford-educated lawyer and former communications agency government is a seasoned political organizer who has maintained a excessive profile in Quebec — a province that has lengthy been key to the party’s electoral success.
Joly maintains an in depth friendship with Sen. Lindsey Graham, and has not too long ago visited Mar-a-Lago to debate strengthening the Canada-U.S. border.
She additionally helped form Liberal overseas coverage following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, amidst allegations of overseas interference in Canadian elections, and in response to India’s alleged killing of a Canadian in British Columbia. Some MPs have secretly known as for her ouster as overseas minister, citing the federal government’s incapability to take care of a united caucus amid battle within the Middle East.
Anita Anand
Transport minister
Now the transport minister, Anand has shot up the ranks of the Liberal Party following her first election win in 2019. As a rookie minister, Anand oversaw the distribution of Covid vaccines. She not too long ago informed POLITICO that one of many causes she ran for public workplace is to make sure that Canadians see themselves in management positions within the nation — together with the workplace of the prime minister.
As protection minister, Anand labored to overtake the tradition of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces to handle sexual harassment and misconduct. As Treasury Board president, she managed the federal government’s purse strings, and labored to dismantle systemic boundaries inside the public service and to alter office tradition.
