10th Jan 2025: The Liberal Party will elect a new leader on March 9, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement on Monday that he will step down once a successor is chosen. The timeline is tight, with candidates having until January 23 to declare their candidacy and needing to pay a $350,000 registration fee.
The party’s national board set the rules on Thursday, giving individuals interested in voting until January 27 to register as Liberal members. To qualify, members must be at least 14 years old, have a Canadian address, and be a citizen, permanent resident, or hold status under the Indian Act.
Former Montreal MP Frank Baylis and Ontario MP Chandra Arya are the first confirmed candidates. Other notable figures, such as former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, are considering joining the race. Several current and former cabinet ministers, including François-Philippe Champagne, Mélanie Joly, Karina Gould, and Chrystia Freeland, are also potential contenders.
Freeland’s resignation as Finance Minister on December 16 intensified calls within the Liberal caucus for Trudeau to step down. By late December, a majority of caucus members had publicly urged his resignation. Meanwhile, Dominic LeBlanc, the new Finance Minister, has ruled out running for leadership, choosing instead to focus on trade issues, particularly expected tariffs when Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
The party faces a challenging timeline, as opposition parties have promised to bring down the government at the first opportunity. This could force the new leader into an election just two weeks after taking office.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized potential Liberal candidates, claiming they all support Trudeau’s policies, including carbon pricing, and suggesting this should be the key issue in the next election.
