Left to right: Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Frank Baylis on Feb. 24.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
Four candidates are vying to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party leader in an election that ends on March 9. The winner will also become prime minister, making this leadership race unlike any other in recent years.
The contenders come from a range of backgrounds. Mark Carney served as the governor of the Bank of Canada and later the Bank of England. Chrystia Freeland is the former finance minister whose resignation on Dec. 16 ultimately led to Mr. Trudeau’s resignation and the current race. Karina Gould is a Liberal MP and former House leader, and Frank Baylis is a former Liberal MP from Montreal and businessman in the health technologies sector.
When he resigned, Mr. Trudeau also prorogued Parliament until March 24. The new Liberal leader will be faced with a quick choice: resume as scheduled on that day and face off against opposition parties who’ve all said they’ll bring down the government at the first opportunity, or trigger an election on their own terms.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre – whose party leads in the polls – has said he wants the next election to be about the carbon price for consumers and businesses. But how Canada will weather the storm being created by U.S. President Donald Trump is also a top-of-mind concern.
Here’s a look at where the Liberal leadership candidates stand on those two questions, plus a glimpse at some of the support they’ve amassed.