OTTAWA — Liberal lawmakers defended their endorsements of candidates to replace outgoing leader Justin Trudeau on Thursday, after the deadline for joining the race passed.
Liberal MPs said they have party unity, President Donald Trump's tariff threats and the economy top of mind as they decide on their next leader. Most have rallied around the two presumed front runners: former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and former central banker Mark Carney.
The federal Liberal caucus huddled on Parliament Hill Thursday to discuss next steps as leadership aspirants wined and dined party members at social events in Ottawa.
Dozens of MPs and cabinet ministers have now announced which horses they're backing. Roughly 20 are supporting Freeland — they include Justice Minister Arif Virani — and more than 30 have lined up behind Carney, including Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.
Ben Carr said Freeland treated him as an equal and made time for him when he was a new Liberal MP trying to find his way in Parliament.
"She's tough," he said. "We need someone right now who's gonna have the ability to negotiate with the Americans in a way that defends the interests of Canada."
Health Minister Mark Holland is also backing Freeland, saying she has a track record of standing up to both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rejecting the suggestion that party support is tilting toward Carney, he said the race is competitive and "wide open, as it should be."
MP Joël Lightbound said Carney is the right leader to "steer us through the turbulent times we're facing economically."
Just weeks ago, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon were considering leadership bids of their own. On Thursday, they announced they're supporting Carney.
Former Government House leader Karina Gould is campaigning as a candidate who can rejuvenate the party after nearly a decade in power. On Thursday, she downplayed getting only a few caucus endorsements to date.
She said the leadership ultimately will be decided by grassroots members and "unlike some of the other candidates, I've only been organizing for two weeks."
Others members of the Liberal caucus are still playing coy in public about the candidates they plan to support.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said he'll have more to say on the weekend, even though he's widely expected to back Carney.
Just a few weeks ago, Joly and Champagne were spoken of as potential top contenders; both ultimately backed out of the running. That's left the field without a strong francophone Quebec candidate.
Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, member of Parliament for Québec, said he's working behind the scenes to ensure the candidates are responding to Quebec issues in their platforms. He's not expected to declare his support for anyone soon.
During the short time since Trudeau stepped down earlier this month and kicked off the race, former B.C. premier Christy Clark — who briefly emerged as a potential dark horse candidate — decided not to enter the race after she had to walk back a claim that she never joined the Conservative party as a member.
The Conservatives fired off emails to their own supporters Thursday claiming that the Liberals are "trying to trick you" by swapping in a new face to "make you forget how terrible the last nine years have been."
Thursday marked the deadline for candidates to declare and submit their official papers, although the party could take longer than a week to confirm all of the candidates.
The field now consists of Carney, Freeland, Gould, Ottawa MP Chandra Arya, Nova Scotia MP Jaime Battiste, and former MPs Frank Baylis and Ruby Dhalla. All of those candidates have said they've filed their paperwork and the initial entrance fee.
Outsider Michael Clark announced this week he wants to mount a bid to reopen the abortion debate in the Liberal party. He would not agree to an interview unless the questions were sent to him ahead of time.
Liberals elect their new leader on March 9.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2025.
Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
