The race to succeed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began on Tuesday, a day after he resigned amid an escalating trade war with the United States and a divisive political climate at home.
With the current Liberal Party lagging badly in the polls, whoever wins the leadership contest could find themselves in the opposition after the votes are counted, tasked with rebuilding the party.
Elon Musk, an ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, has extended his support to Trudeau’s rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre for the post of Prime Minister.
Few in the Liberal Party have yet officially announced plans to seek their leadership, but several potential candidates have already been reported to AFP and other media.
Here are the frontrunners:
– Chrystia Freeland –
Chrystia Freeland was deputy prime minister before she spectacularly resigned in December after clashing with her boss over Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports.
The 56-year-old has held several senior cabinet positions in Trudeau’s government since 2015. Polls now show him as the top candidate to replace him.
Pollster Nick Nanos described her as having “the biggest appeal” in the wake of her resignation in iPolitics, resulting in “really people having a positive perception of her.”
However, despite his many achievements, “he is not an effective political communicator,” analyst Tim Powers told AFP.
– Mark Carney –
Close behind in the rankings is Mark Carney, 59, a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, who was named Trudeau’s special economic adviser in September.
He said in a statement this week that he had received broad support for his candidacy from people “who want us to move forward with positive change and a winning economic plan.”
However, he has no political experience, and according to Powers, “learning the job in three to four months is a huge challenge.”
Carney has “excellent intelligence and a policy mind,” Powers said, but his good intentions could hurt him in the current “anti-elite and anti-establishment” political climate.
– Dominic Leblanc –
Trudeau’s childhood friend, Dominic LeBlanc, 57, has been a close political ally of the prime minister.
He was recently put in charge of leading negotiations with the United States, visiting Trump twice at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for talks to try to prevent a Canada-US trade war. Was.
LeBlanc has held several senior cabinet positions, including her current role as finance minister, and public broadcaster CBC said she enjoys strong support within the party.
However, “being so close to Justin Trudeau” could impact his candidacy at a time when voters are demanding change, Powers said.
– Melanie Jolie –
Foreign Minister Mélanie Jolie, 45, was projected in the New York Times as a potential successor to Trudeau.
He was tasked with some of Canada’s most difficult diplomatic missions, including improving strained relations with China and India after allegations of political interference and the murder of a Canadian Sikh, respectively.
His team told AFP they had received “a lot of calls” from people interested in running for the leadership of the party.
– Christy Clark –
Former premier of British Columbia Christy Clark, 59, was among the first to publicly express interest in the federal top job in October.
She is a “wild card” in the race, Powers said, adding that she was “exceptional” at interacting with people at the grassroots level, and was “not burdened” by Trudeau’s record.
“There’s an opportunity for them in being an outsider,” he told AFP.
-Anita Anand-
Transport Minister Anita Anand, 58, is a former scholar who has taught at Yale and other leading universities.
She was first elected to Parliament in 2019 and was tasked with leading efforts to secure vaccines, masks and rapid tests for Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Defense Minister, he brought reforms to address sexual misconduct in the military.
2022 An article in Maclean’s described him as “clearly a potential leadership contender”.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
