Minister of Innovation François-Philippe Champagne, left, jokes with former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney as they arrive for the Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., on Sept. 10.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney picked up another batch of high-profile endorsements over the weekend, adding momentum to the former central banker’s bid in a race increasingly focused on concerns about the economy and a potential trade war with the United States.
Transport Minister Anita Anand, Defence Minister Bill Blair and Housing Minister Nate Erskine-Smith endorsed the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor on Saturday. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne followed suit on Sunday.
The flurry of support shows the Liberal Party’s top brass coalescing around an outside candidate rather than one of their own – former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland – in an effort to distance themselves from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his intent to resign earlier this month.
Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says he'll be advising the Liberal party to turn the challenges posed by an increasingly divided and dangerous world into an economic opportunity for Canada. But he won't say whether his new role advising the prime minister is part of grander political aspirations. (Sept. 10, 2024)
The Canadian Press
The endorsements have also focused on Mr. Carney’s experience as an economic manager, in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Canadian imports.
Mr. Carney led the Bank of Canada through the 2008 global financial crisis and led the Bank of England through the economic fallout from Britain’s decision to leave the European Union in 2016.
Ms. Anand told The Globe and Mail in an interview that her decision to endorse Mr. Carney goes back to her time as a visiting scholar at the Bank of Canada during the global financial crisis.
“I saw then what I saw now: He has the proven ability to lead Canada during these economic times,” she said.
Mr. Champagne echoed this in an interview that aired on CTV’s Question Period on Sunday.
While skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway, Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney says carbon pricing has made Canada more competitive and helped with sustainable jobs and the cost of living. He says his campaign team will have a policy on carbon emissions that addresses all those same aspects as the Liberal carbon price. (Jan. 22, 2025)
The Canadian Press
“It’s like a wake-up call, basically, that this new [U.S.] administration is giving to Canada. We need to get our act together. We need to be faster. We need to be more nimble. We need to get things done. And I think, with Mark and I working together very closely, you’ll see that,” he said.
Ms. Freeland is also pitching herself as the best person to respond to Mr. Trump. In an interview that aired on CBC’s The House on Saturday, the Liberal leadership candidate pointed to her experience leading Canada’s renegotiation of the North American free-trade agreement during the first Trump presidency when she was foreign minister.
Canadians “have seen me stand up to Trump. They have seen me not flinch, and they have seen me get a great deal,” Ms. Freeland said. She added that Canada needs to respond to Mr. Trump’s threats by spelling out potential counter-tariffs on $200-billion worth of American exports to Canada.
Mr. Carney has secured the backing of 16 cabinet ministers, compared with Ms. Freeland’s five endorsements. Ms. Freeland downplayed the lead that Mr. Carney has in high-profile supporters.
Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland says that the Liberals can "never again" be in a position where the only person who can remove the party leader is the leader themself. (Jan. 23, 2025)
The Canadian Press
“It’s central to my campaign to see this is not about Liberal elites deciding, this is about the grassroots,” she said in the CBC interview, adding, “I am really happy to be running against the Ottawa establishment.”
The new Liberal leader is set to be chosen on March 9. The winner will take over as Prime Minister from Mr. Trudeau and lead the party into the next election, which must be held by October but is widely expected to happen as soon as the spring. The Liberals continue to trail far behind the Conservatives in the polls.
Also running in the contest are former cabinet minister and MP Karina Gould; MP Jaime Battiste; and former MPs Frank Baylis and Ruby Dhalla.
Liberal MP Chandra Arya had said he was running. However, in a social media post on Sunday, he said he’d been informed by the party that he was not permitted to enter the race.
“While I await their official communication, I am carefully considering my next steps. This decision raises significant questions about the legitimacy of the leadership race and, by extension, the legitimacy of the next Prime Minister of Canada,” he said.
Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland officially launched her campaign to become the Liberal party leader at her University-Rosedale riding in Toronto on Sunday. Speaking at a local Boys and Girls Club, Freeland says she’ll fight for Canada in the face of economic threats from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. (Jan. 19, 2025)
The Canadian Press
Liberal Party spokesperson Parker Lund, asked why Mr. Arya was disallowed, pointed to a section of leadership race guidelines that say a potential candidate can be kept out after a series of background checks or if the individual has demonstrated “manifest unfitness for the office of Leader of the Party.” Mr. Lund did not respond to a request for clarification.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre weighed in on the Liberal leadership race on Sunday, posting a letter on social media asking if Mr. Carney would commit to preventing ministers in the Trudeau government from joining any future cabinet.
“Justin Trudeau’s team of Ministers not only endorsed his agenda, but helped write it, push it and implement it. Keeping Trudeau’s team is the same as keeping Trudeau,” Mr. Poilievre wrote.
Conservative Party attack-ads have largely tried to paint both Mr. Carney and Ms. Freeland as continuations of Mr. Trudeau.
The leadership race enters a new phase this week: Monday is the deadline for new Liberals to register to vote in the contest. Thursday is the deadline to pay the second $50,000 instalment of the registration fee, suggesting the race may narrow further.
With a file from Stephanie Levitz