Canada's next prime minister will be chosen on 9 March after a leadership race among the governing Liberals, the party announced late 9 January.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau announced on 6 January that he would resign from his roles as head of the federal government and party but stay on until a successor was found. Canada's governor general, at Trudeau's request, delayed a return to Parliament by two months, buying his party time before elected officials return to session, now scheduled for 24 March.
Opposition parties have vowed to bring down the government and trigger a general election at first opportunity, prompting the Liberals to expedite the leadership race. With the process now set, candidates will need to declare their participation by 23 January.
At least two high profile Liberal cabinet members have said they are not planning to run for the top job. Minister of foreign affairs Mélanie Joly and minister of finance and intergovernmental affairs Dominic LeBlanc both said the threat of tariffs and economic pressures from US president-elect Donald Trump require their full attention at their current posts.
Recent polls indicate the centre-right Conservatives would win a majority of seats in the House of Commons if an election were held today, ending the Liberal's reign that began in 2015.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has focused efforts on criticising potential Liberal leadership candidates, leaning into their connection to Trudeau, the state of immigration and the Canadian economy, and the carbon tax. This includes Trudeau's former finance minister Chrystia Freeland; the Liberal's chair of economic growth Mark Carney who is a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England; and former British Columbia premier Christy Clark.
"They're all Justin Trudeau. They're all just like Justin," said Poilievre on 9 January.
