Labor Minister Stephen McKinnon confirmed Sunday morning that the Liberal Party will not run to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the ongoing leadership contest. His decision means that no current cabinet minister has yet committed to the party’s top post.
In a statement posted on social media, he said the party “is at a crossroads and important decisions must be made quickly.”
“The leadership race requires diverse, experienced and pragmatic voices, both in French and English, and I believe I can be that voice,” McKinnon said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the time to run the campaigns we would like to run.”
On Thursday, the Liberal Party announced it will choose its next leader, and Canada’s next prime minister, on March 9.
Candidates must declare their intention to run and pay the entry fee by January 23rd. You have until January 27 to register with the party to vote in the leadership election.
So far, no sitting cabinet minister has announced that they will run to replace Prime Minister Trudeau. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly is not running, nor are Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Transport Minister Anita Anand.
But Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said they were considering running for the top job.
Former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney are expected to run, but neither has officially announced their candidacy.
The only leadership candidates confirmed so far are Liberal MP Chandra Arya and former Liberal MP Frank Bayliss.
McKinnon said in a statement that he commends “all those who have or are considering entering the leadership race.”
“Liberals across Canada have high hopes, and I’m heartened to hear their voices,” he said.
“They deserve real choice, a wide range of options, and a clear direction for our country. Like them, I will listen carefully and make informed choices.”
