Mark Carney greets supporters after delivering a victory speech at the Liberal Party of Canada convention in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.Spencer Colby/The Globe and Mail
Federal Liberal leadership race
Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has won the race to be Liberal Party leader, beating Chrystia Freeland, former Liberal House leader Karina Gould and businessman and former Liberal MP Frank Baylis.
Key moments:
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed supporters in his final speech as party leader
- Mark Carney, before his win, told the crowd that the "stakes have never been higher" as an election looms
- Former prime minister Jean Chrétien delivered a rousing speech as he took explicit aim at U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs
- Polling analyst Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada said if the election were held today, the Conservatives would fall short of a majority, at 156 seats
Further reading:
- Mark Carney wins in a landslide victory
8:25 p.m.
Freeland and Gould react after losing the race
–Bill Curry
Chrystia Freeland listens to Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, not shown, speak after he was announced the winner in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Liberal leadership contender Chrystia Freeland described the outcome as a strong result for the party.
“Mark has a very strong mandate and the support of the party. He has my support,” she told reporters.
Karina Gould, who also ran for the leadership, said she will be there to support Mr. Carney in taking on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The Liberals have selected a leader who is focused on the economy and on the moment we are in,” she said.
7:49 p.m.
Carney: ‘In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win’
– Globe staff
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens as Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, speaks after being announced the winner at the Liberal Leadership event in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
In his acceptance speech, Mark Carney focused on U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada.
“There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy,” he said of Mr. Trump. “He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.”
Mr. Carney also addressed Mr. Trump’s repeated taunts to annex Canada as the 51st state.
“America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form,” he said to a cheering crowd. “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.’’
“So Americans should make no mistake,’’ Mr. Carney added. “In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”
7:44 p.m.
Carney leads as choice against Trump, polls show
– Bill Curry
Before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he was stepping down, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had moved the Conservatives into a dominant lead in public-opinion polls, prompting Liberal MPs to become increasingly vocal throughout 2024 that Mr. Trudeau should resign in order to avoid losing in the next general election.
Since Mr. Trudeau’s resignation announcement on Jan. 6, however, the party’s fortunes in polls have improved significantly, to the point that pollsters now view the next federal election as a competitive race between the Liberals and the Conservatives.
Pollsters attribute the rise to Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the U.S. President’s threats to Canadian sovereignty and economic well-being.
Mr. Carney, in particular, has benefited from this new reality. Data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute has found that 43 per cent of Canadians believe that the former central banker would be best person to square off against Mr. Trump, compared with 34 per cent who choose Mr. Poilievre.
7:35 p.m.
Carney will be a PM without a seat
– Bill Curry
Liberal Party of Canada Leader Mark Carney speaks to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Carney was announced as the winner of the party leadership at the announcement event in Ottawa, Sunday, March 9, 2025.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Mark Carney’s win produces a rare situation in which the prime minister does not have a seat in the House of Commons.
That hasn’t happened since the summer of 1984, when John Turner won the Liberal Party leadership, succeeding Mr. Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau.
In that case, Mr. Turner quickly dissolved Parliament and ran as a candidate in a September election, where he won a seat but the Liberals lost to Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives, which formed a majority government.
6:35 p.m.
Carney wins Liberal leadership
– Bill Curry
Mark Carney makes a "W" gesture to signify his win in the race to become leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party, in Ottawa, March 9, 2025.Blair Gable/Reuters
Mark Carney is the new leader of the Liberal Party and will soon be Canada’s 24th Prime Minister.
The former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England won the Liberal Party leadership race handily, with 85.9 per cent of the vote, followed by 8 per cent for Chrystia Freeland, 3.2 per cent for Karina Gould, and three per cent for Frank Baylis.
Mr. Carney, who does not have a seat in the House of Commons, promised to bring “positive leadership” that will unify Canadians.
“The Liberal Party is united and strong and ready to fight to build an even better country,” he said in an acceptance speech.
6:17 p.m.
Chrétien greeted with massive applause, takes aim at Trump and speaks of Canadian strength
– Shannon Proudfoot
Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien speaks during the Liberal Party of Canada convention in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.Spencer Colby/The Globe and Mail
If you want to know the truth, the crowd was very appreciative and enthusiastic toward Justin Trudeau, but former Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was greeted as a rock star.
He drew a big laugh when he mentioned that he’d been coming to Liberal conventions for 68 years, which would put his debut before the birth of many of the people in this room. The crowd was eating out of his hand: silent and still, chortling at his sarcastic little asides, mesmerized as he made the case that this country is a roaring success – especially compared with our southern neighbours.
Interestingly, he took a shot at Pierre Poilievre – swatting aside the notion that Canada is “broken” – before he explicitly aimed at Donald Trump.
Later, he drew enormous cheers when he argued for Canada imposing export taxes on oil, gas and potash, and building a pipeline from east to west to help Canada strengthen itself to withstand whatever comes next.
5:52 p.m.
Trudeau addresses party faithful
– Shannon Proudfoot
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finishes his speech at the Liberal leadership announcement in Ottawa.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Justin Trudeau took the lectern after his daughter, talking about how Liberals don’t do victory laps but just focus on the work yet to be done.
And as pretty much every other speaker has done so far today, he referred to the biggest task on the Canadian to-do list at the moment: dealing with the threats from Donald Trump’s White House. Now, as Canadians face “an existential challenge from our neighbours,” Canadians are showing what we’re made of, he said.
He invoked vintage Trudeau Liberal lines, thundering that Canada is a country that believes no one should be left behind, that refuses to accept the false choice between prosperity and protecting the environment, that embraces reconciliation with Indigenous people as a path to mutual success.
5:50 p.m.
Trudeau’s daughter reflects on his leadership
– Shannon Proudfoot
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his daughter Ella-Grace Trudeau react on the day members of Canada's Liberal Party gather to choose his successor, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 9, 2025.Blair Gable/Reuters
Ella-Grace Trudeau introduced Justin Trudeau after the sizzle reel recapping his dozen years as leader of the party.
She said that when she talked to her dad about the difficulties of being the prime minister’s kid, he could truly understand – though he didn’t live that life in the age of social media.
“I’ve got to say, I’m looking forward to seeing more of him at home and less of him online,” she said. “But I wouldn’t trade the last few years for anything. Dad, I’m so proud of you.”
The crowd ate it up: audible sighs, charmed laughter, the kind of applause when people really mean it.
5:31 p.m.
Carney: ‘The stakes have never been higher’
– Stephanie Levitz
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaks on the day members of Canada's Liberal Party gather to choose a successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 9, 2025.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
Front-runner Mark Carney was the final candidate to take the stage at the opening of the event to reveal the next Liberal leader.
He started off his remarks in French, a weak spot for him during the leadership race, and asked who is ready to help the Liberals win the most important election of their life.
He referenced the other candidates, saying they too are ready as is everyone in the room.
“The stakes have never been higher,” Mr. Carney said as he switched to English.
His speech followed candidate Karina Gould’s, the former Liberal House leader, who called today a great day for the Liberal Party.
Ms. Gould said the leadership campaign has given the party a chance to remember what it means to be Liberal: the party of health care, the Charter, multiculturalism, reconciliation, and the party that fights climate change.
Before her, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland spoke and also referenced the patriotism sweeping the country, saying the Liberals need to defeat Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in the next election.
5:23 p.m.
That 2015 feeling
– Emily Haws
“Certainly in my riding, what I’ve been hearing from folks, even people who weren’t Liberal, they’re really excited to vote for Mark Carney,” said Official Languages Minister Rachel Bendayan. “Many of them signed up to vote in the leadership.”
Ms. Bendayan, who endorsed Mr. Carney, says she feels good about his chances tonight. She says she is energized and that this is the feeling the Liberals had back in 2014 and 2015, in the lead-up to the Liberals majority victory.
5:10 p.m.
Frank Baylis speaks
– Stephanie Levitz
Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Frank Baylis arrives at the Liberal Party of Canada convention in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.Spencer Colby/The Globe and Mail
Baylis takes the stage to address supporters
Cheers erupt from the floor of the Liberal leadership convention as the event gets under way with a video montage of past leaders.
Attendees are waving placards in time to the music, many of the signs are for the candidates but there are also Canadian flags.
The order in which the candidates are entering the room was chosen by a random draw, and the first to take the stage is former MP Frank Baylis.
He thanks his family and supporters, and then speaks about Canada as a compassionate country with a rich cultural history, and one that is home to builders, fighters and peacekeepers.
“We will not be broken by a tariff,” he says.
5:00 p.m.
What it feels like on the stage-managed convention-room floor
– Shannon Proudfoot
A Liberal Party of Canada supporter is seen during the convention in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.Spencer Colby/The Globe and Mail
The stage management at these events is always fascinating. Being in the room versus what you see on TV is a bit like realizing that food stylists cook a ham with a hairdryer or put glue in a bowl of cereal so it looks pretty in an ad.
The room we’re in is a massive hangar of a convention hall, but big chunks of it have been walled off to shrink the footprint, and the back third of the room is given over to TV risers and media tables.
The net effect is that there are maybe 700 or 800 Liberal supporters milling around the front of the stage right now, but rather than looking lonely and lost in a huge room, they’re crammed in like a bar just before closing time – which is what you’ll see on camera. Political staging 101.
4:31 p.m.
Tight race if election were held today, polling analyst says
– Emily Haws
“We have a close contest at the starting line for whoever wins tonight,” says Philippe J. Fournier, the polling analyst behind 338Canada.
He aggregates public opinion polling into projections, including seat counts.
Right now, he says, the Conservatives are expected to win an average of 156 seats, which is 16 short of a majority government. The Liberals are expected to win an average of 143 seats, while he projects the Bloc to win 28 seats, followed by the NDP at 14 and the Greens at two.
4:26 p.m.
Carney supporters fill the room
– Shannon Proudfoot
A Liberal Party of Canada supporter places their hand on a sign in support of leadership candidate Mark Carney, March 9, 2025.Spencer Colby/The Globe and Mail
If the campaign sign straw poll in the room is to be believed, Mark Carney has this locked up.
There’s an entire section of seating just in front of the stage where nearly every one of the Liberal faithful seems to be holding a vertical lollipop sign with “CARNEY” on it. I thought maybe it was a specific section for his supporters, but I asked a couple of them and they said seating is random.
Everywhere else throughout the cavernous convention centre room, his signs outnumber those of his competitors by a wide margin, too.
4:04 p.m.
What’s going on in Ottawa as Liberals await voting results
– Emily Haws
Liberal supporters pose for photos as members of Canada's Liberal Party gather to choose a successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
Liberals are starting to come through registration and fill the main room of the event.
People are milling about, catching up with each other and finding good seats early to watch the results come in.
Upbeat music plays over speakers, making it feel like a party.
The leadership campaign teams are each giving out merchandise, such as signs and scarves with their candidate’s names.
There is also a large merchandise table, where clothing, notebooks, pint and wine glasses, and cheese boards emblazoned with the party’s branding are for sale.
The party says more than 2,000 people have registered for the leadership event Sunday. Only 163,836 of about 396,000 eligible voters registered, and of that, only 151,899 of the registered voters cast ballots.
3:38 p.m.
Justin Trudeau shares nostalgic video as tenure comes to an end
Prime Minister Trudeau shared a video on his Instagram that features snapshots taken from his time in office.
2:58 p.m.
Justin Trudeau’s nearly 12-year run comes to an end today
–Bill Curry, Stephanie Levitz and Emily Haws
The Liberal Party will select a new leader today who will take the party into a federal election campaign that is shaping up to be a referendum on who is the best choice to manage the trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in the first week of January that he was proroguing Parliament until March 24 to allow time for the party to select a new leader, after which he would resign. It ends a nearly 12-year run for Mr. Trudeau, who became leader in 2013 and brought the Liberals back to power with a majority government in 2015.
Voting began on Feb. 26 and ends today at 3 p.m. ET, with results announced at a Liberal event later in the day that will hear speeches from Mr. Trudeau and former prime minister Jean Chrétien. Mr. Trudeau’s daughter, Ella Grace, will also address the gathering.
Voters must rank the contenders on the ballot and the party uses a weighted system that assigns every riding 100 points. How many points each of the candidates receives depends on their share of the vote in that particular riding.
March 8, 2025
Carney the front-runner to be next prime minister
– Robert Fife
A man waits for the main doors to be opened ahead of a Liberal leadership announcement on Sunday, March 9, 2025 in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Barring an upset, Mark Carney is poised to be elected leader of the ruling Liberal Party on Sunday, becoming the country’s first prime minister without any political experience and setting the stage for an early election amid a trade war with Canada’s biggest trading partner.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House and the U.S. President’s threats to Canadian sovereignty and economic well-being have upset the political landscape, giving the Liberals more than a fighting chance against Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute found that 43 per cent of Canadians believe that the former central banker would be best to square off against Mr. Trump if he wins the leadership race, compared with 34 per cent who choose Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Read more: The Liberals reach the finish line, with an eye on the bigger fight
March 6, 2025
Carney pledges to put assets in blind trust if he becomes PM
– Stephanie Levitz
Mark Carney says he’ll immediately put his assets into a blind trust if he becomes prime minister.
Mr. Carney’s promise comes after weeks of criticism over his refusal to disclose his financial holdings until he is legally required to do so under existing conflict of interest and ethics law.
“If Mark Carney has the privilege of becoming prime minister, he would not merely comply with all applicable ethics rules and guidelines, but surpass them,” the campaign said Thursday.
March 5, 2025
Freeland says she will invite Carney to be finance minister if she wins
– Stephanie Levitz
Chrystia Freeland made the offer to now be the one bringing Mark Carney onside in a Tuesday scrum with reporters, during a campaign event at an auto parts manufacturing plant in Vaughan, Ont.
“I think the ideal combination is to have me, a battle-tested, proven political leader with a seat in the House of Commons as prime minister. I will invite Mark to serve as my finance minister,” she said.
The Carney campaign, in response to a request for comment from The Globe and Mail, pointed to an interview he gave Radio-Canada in February where he was asked if Ms. Freeland could be his finance minister.
He said many people could hold that position, including the current minister, Dominic LeBlanc, who is among the dozens of Liberal MPs and cabinet ministers who have endorsed Mr. Carney for leadership.
Mr. Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, does not have a seat in the House of Commons.
Feb. 26, 2025
Five takeaways from the two Liberal leadership debates
– Frédérik-Xavier D. Plante, Stephanie Levitz and Robert Fife
The four candidates for the Liberal Party leadership sparred during four hours of debate, in French and in English , to argue why they’re the best option to lead the party and the country.
- Donald Trump dominated topics
- Pierre Poilievre jabs
- Chatter about defence spending and the Arctic
- Carbon price out, pipelines in
- Iffy French fluency for some
Jan. 6, 2025
Catch up on why Trudeau resigned and what it means to prorogue parliament
– Globe staff
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 53, said he will remain as Prime Minister until the Liberal Party elects a new leader and that Governor-General Mary Simon had granted his request to prorogue Parliament until March 24.
Read more about Justin Trudeau’s resignation and the implications explained