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Anita Anand, Melanie Joly withdraw from Liberal race for PM post
In the election programme, the party has significantly increased the entry fee for potential candidates from $75,000 in 2013 to $350,000.
President of the Treasury Board Anita Anand walks down stairs on Parliament Hill the day after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unexpectedly resigned, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Dec.17, 2024. / REUTERS/Carlos Osorio Shar / Reuters
Two senior ministers--Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Transport Minister Anita Anand--have opted out of the federal Liberal leadership race, the process for which was formally announced last week.
As a result, of the four senior women members of the Liberal caucus, former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and leader of the House Karina Gould remain in the race for the Prime Ministerial post.
Another woman candidate in the running is the former Premier of British Columbia, Christie Clark.
After Justin Trudeau announced his decision to step down as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, the Liberal Party set in motion the process to choose his replacement. The new leader would be named on March 9, ahead of March 24, when the no-prorogued House of Commons will resume its sitting.
Chandra Arya, MP from Nepean, was the first to declare his candidature for the top political post even before the election process details were made public.
In the election program, the party has significantly increased the entry fee for potential candidates from $75,000 in 2013 to $350,000. Candidates will have to declare their intention to run and pay the entry fee by January 23. Party followers can register to vote in the leadership race until January 27.
The party has also formalized the eligibility criteria for voters. Canadian citizens and permanent residents above 14 shall be eligible to vote. It contrasts with the eligibility criteria for general elections, where the voting age is 18. In Canada, parties can set their age restrictions. The
Conservatives allowed people 16 or older to vote in their last leadership contest in 2022.
Previously, non-Canadian residents were allowed to vote in Liberal Party riding nomination and leadership contests. It was called a "gateway" for foreign interference, an issue that dominated the proceedings of the current session, which took a holiday break on January 18. A growing number of Liberal MPs has urged the party executive to heed the warnings about 'interference'.
Several cabinet insiders — including Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon — have said they are considering running for the top job. However, they want first to study the new election rules.
Former central banker Mark Carney has also said he is interested. Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former B.C. premier Christy Clar,k and House Leader Karina Gould are said to be gathering supporters, too.
Besides Chandra Arya, a former Montreal MP, Frank Baylis, is also in the running.
Whoever takes over for Trudeau will have a tight timeline before the House of Commons returns. The possibility of the new Prime Minister running into a no-confidence motion immediately after the House resumes its sitting looks imminent as two of the main parties, official Opposition Conservatives and New
Democrats, who had been bailing out the Trudeau government throughout, have declared the intent to bring down the government at the first possible opportunity.
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