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Who is thinking of running to be the new Liberal Party of Canada leader?

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Just one day after Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, multiple people have already expressed interest in becoming his successor.

No one can officially enter the race until the Liberal party sets the rules and they know when campaigns can pay their fees, file their paperwork and enter.

Here are the people who have said they are considering a bid for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Mark Carney

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney issued a statement saying he is encouraged by support he has heard, and that he’s considering his decision with family over the next few days.

He most recently chaired a Liberal task force on economic growth.

Carney’s supporters see him as a strong economic candidate, as the Liberals struggle to address the growing expense of basic needs in Canada and defend against criticism about government spending.

Conservatives have already taken aim at Carney, and even called for him to appear at a parliamentary committee in April so they could grill him about his plans for government economic and fiscal policy.

MP François-Philippe Champagne

MP François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, confirmed to 680 NewsRadio Toronto that he is “is considering a run and is speaking with people.” He added that he is waiting for the rules surrounding the leadership race to be decided on.

Champagne has been a Member of Parliament since he was elected to riding of Saint-Maurice—Champlain in 2015. He first joined Trudeau’s cabinet in 2017 when he became the Minster of International Trade then moving to Ministry of Infrastructure and Communities.

The Quebec MP was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021 before becoming the Industry Minister following a cabinet shuffle.

MP Melanie Joly

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is also considering running for the leadership. 680 NewsRadio Toronto confirmed she is talking to members and weighing her options.

She has also been a Member of Parliament in the Montreal area since 2015 and entered Trudeau’s cabinet in 2015 as the Minister of Canadian Heritage. She also led the Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie ministry before replacing Champagne as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2021.

Frank Baylis

Former Montreal MP Frank Baylis declared his intent to enter the race in an interview Monday with The Hill Times.

Baylis was first elected in 2015 but did not run for re-election in 2019. The businessman is currently the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baylis Medical Technologies, which was founded by his mother in the early 1980s. He was president of the company, which develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, from 1989 to 2015.

This list will be updated as more candidates express interest in running.

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