Ottawa [Canada], March 10 (ANI): After months of speculation and anti-incumbency, Canada’s Liberal Party will announce its new leader today, replacing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who will lead the party in the general elections scheduled later this year.
The person who the Liberal Party would assume office as Canada’s PM after being sworn in by the Governor General. The development not only reflects a new chapter for the Liberal Party but could also imply the imminent beginning of a federal election, as reported by CBC News.
The leadership race began in Canada’s Liberal Party after Trudeau, in early January, announced his intention to step down after a mounting caucus revolt and the resignation of Freeland from cabinet.
At the time, the Liberal Party was behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives by over 20 points. Recent polling has indicated that Liberals are bouncing back. Whoever secures a win will face pressure to sustain that momentum, according to CBC News.
Notably, after the Liberals trailed for months behind the opposition Conservative Party by a wide margin, recent polls show the Liberals are now riding a wave of political momentum, in part due to Trudeau’s resignation and fears of a trade war with Washington, according to Al Jazeera.
The federal election must be held by October 20, but it could be called sooner.
Trudeau led the party for over a decade. Leading the Liberals to power in 2015, promising “sunny ways” for Canada, Trudeau was elected two more times since then, most recently in 2021, when he remained in power but lost his governing majority.
He championed progressive issues like combating climate change and addressing historic abuses against Indigenous peoples, but the latter years of his premiership have been marked by rising economic discontent. His administration was also rocked last year by the surprise resignation of Freeland, who was then deputy prime minister and finance minister, just hours before she was due to deliver her annual fiscal update, as reported by CNN.
However, throughout the campaign, candidates have moved away from policies implemented by Trudeau, like the carbon tax and changes to the capital gains tax, while putting their own spin on how to handle the housing crisis and make life more affordable for the people of Canada.
After nearly two months of campaign and two debates, thousands of registered Liberals will now take a decision on the party leader. Eligible voters have been able to vote for over a week and have until 3 pm ET to cast their ballot, CBC News reported.
Those in the leadership race are former central banker Mark Carney, former finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, former House leader and current MP Karina Gould, and Montreal business leader and former MP Frank Baylis, as reported by CBC News.
Carney, 59, who is being considered the frontrunner by many, has tried to portray himself as a political outsider, putting distance between himself and the widely unpopular Trudeau.
The economist previously served as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and he acted as an economic adviser to Trudeau’s government. He also served as a United Nations special envoy on climate action and finance, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Another big name in the race is Chrystia Freeland, who has been a key member of Trudeau’s inner circle. Since then, she has held various high-profile government portfolios, including as deputy prime minister and finance minister.
In a surprise move, Freeland resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet saying she and Trudeau were “at odds about the best path forward” for Canada in the face of a threat from Trump to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods. This setback played a huge role in Trudeau finally deciding to step down.
Karina Gould, the 37-year-old MP from Burlington, Ontario, has held various positions within the Liberal government since she was elected to Parliament in 2015.
Over her time in office, she has served as the minister of democratic institutions, minister for international development, and minister of families, children and social development. In the latter role, she helped implement a national childcare programme that cut daycare costs for Canadians.
Frank Baylis, the other candidate in the race, was elected to the House of Commons in the Montreal-area riding of Pierrefonds-Dollard in 2015. He held the seat until the next election in 2019, when he chose not to run again.
An entrepreneur, he also has touted his business experience over the past decades and said he intends to help tackle Canada’s affordability crisis.
The leadership contest comes in the backdrop of the ongoing tariff row between Washington and Ottawa. Relations with the US have soured under the Trump administration, as reported by CNN.
The past three months have seen US President Donald Trump blame Canada for illegal immigration into the US, threaten to turn Canada into the US’s “51st state”, and impose steep tariffs on Canadian imports, which the White House says is necessary to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
As a result, Canada’s internal issues have been overshadowed by the threat posed by US President Donald Trump. The race for Liberal Party leader largely became a question of who would be best able to handle Trump’s tariffs and threats, as per CBC News.
One of the first questions for the new leader will be whether they plan to immediately trigger an election or wait till parliament returns on March 24. The event on Sunday (local time) is being held in Ottawa, where Trudeau and Canada’s former PM Jean Chretien are slated to address the crowd.
A few days back, Trudeau announced he expects the transition to his successor to happen “in the coming days or week.” The Liberal Party has restricted voting to Canadians and permanent residents over foreign interference concerns. (ANI)
