Carney expected to launch Liberal leadership bid in Edmonton Thursday: sources

Barring a major surprise to shift his plans, Mark Carney is expected to launch his Liberal leadership campaign on Jan. 16 in Edmonton, Alta., according to two sources close to his team. The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor is emerging as one of the leading candidates for the March 9 election with several high-profile cabinet ministers bowing out as contenders in recent days. Carney has been flirting with the idea of running federally for years. A source close to Carney said that more than 36 MPs have agreed to support his campaign. It’s expected that if Carney were to become the federal Liberal Party leader, he could run in an Edmonton riding because of his roots in the Alberta capital. The banker and economist was born in the Northwest Territories, but was raised in Edmonton. His father, Bob Carney, ran unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the 1980 general election in the riding of Edmonton-South. In that election, Carney senior came in second place behind Progressive Conservative MP Douglas Roche. Roche was later appointed to the Red Chamber as a Progressive Conservative Senator. The race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) became official on Jan. 6 when Trudeau announced he would not lead the party in the next federal election. At the time, Carney wished Trudeau well, and said he would take “the coming few days” to consider whether to enter the leadership race. “I’m encouraged and honoured by the support that I’ve already been hearing from Liberal MPs and Liberals across the country who want us to move forward with positive change and a winning economic plan,” Carney said in a Jan. 6 statement to The Hill Times. “That’s what it will take to defeat Pierre Poilievre, to get Canada back on track, and to build the strongest economy that works for all Canadians. I’ll be considering this decision closely with my family over the coming few days.” Trudeau was among those trying to bring Carney into the Liberal fold, though perhaps not as an immediate leadership replacement. This past September, Carney was tapped to lead a new task force advising Trudeau on economic issues. Carney previously provided advice to Trudeau on the economic response to COVID-19. Trudeau was also reportedly courting Carney as his next finance minister, before Chrystia Freeland's (University-Rosedale, Ont.) sudden resignation from cabinet as finance minister and deputy minister on Dec. 16. Though not officially declared, Freeland is also seen as a front-runner to take over the top Liberal job, with support from a significant number of MPs. She is also expected to launch her campaign in the coming days. Government House Leader Karina Gould (Burlington, Ont.) is also planning make her leadership campaign official in the next one week, according to a source, and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver, B.C.) has said he's mulling whether to enter the race. As of publication, Liberal MP Chandra Arya (Nepean, Ont.), and businessman and former Liberal MP Frank Baylis were the only declared candidates. Liberal MP Jaime Battiste (Sydney-Victoria, N.S.) announced Monday that he is also planning to seek the party's top job. On Jan. 14, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice–Champlain, Que.) and former B.C. premier Christy Clark both said they would not be running. Champagne said in a post on X that it was "a difficult decision but one I take with Canada at heart." Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, N.B.), Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic–Cartierville, Que.), and Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau, Que.) havealso all announced they will not be joining the leadership race. Also, Transport Minister Anita Anand (Oakville, Ont.) announced on Jan. 11 that she won’t be running for the leadership and also would not be running in the next election. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland is expected to launch her leadership campaign in the coming days. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Based on the party’s constitution, two committees—the Leadership Expense Committee and the Leadership Vote Committee—have been established to finalize the rules for the contest. On Jan. 9, the party announced the initial set of rules, including the entry fee for contestants is $350,000. Candidates must declare their participation by Jan. 23, and can pay the initial deposit in instalments. However, it is unclear whether a deposit or paperwork is required by this date. The deadline for Canadians or permanent residents to join the party and to be eligible to vote in the leadership election is Jan. 27. The party is currently working on finalizing the details of these rules which are expected to be released in the coming days. arana@hilltimes.com The Hill Times Editor's note: This story was updated on Jan. 14, 2025, to update the number of MPs reportedly supporting Mark Carney as leader, and that two potential candidates had bowed out of the race.

Carney expected to launch Liberal leadership bid in Edmonton Thursday: sources

Mark Carney’s father Bob Carney ran unsuccessfully for the Liberals in Edmonton-South, Alta., in the 1980 federal election.

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