OTTAWA – The federal Liberal caucus gathered on Parliament Hill on Wednesday with speculation swirling about which of its members will put their names forward to lead the party into the next election — and with one potential contender bowing out.
Just before the meeting got underway, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc posted a statement to social media thanking supporters for their encouragement and saying he’s decided not to run in the upcoming race.
The New Brunswick MP wrote that Canada is “at a critical juncture in its relationship with its most important ally and trading partner, the United States.”
Speaking to reporters before the meeting, LeBlanc said he was genuinely touched that caucus colleagues encouraged him to seek the leadership.
“I decided that the most important thing I should do over the next few months is my job as minister of finance and intergovernmental affairs,” he said, adding he will be “solely focused on the real economic threat that American tariffs represent.”
Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump threatened in November to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico when he takes office, unless both countries act to stop migrants and illegal drugs from crossing the border into the United States.
In December Canada announced a $1.3-billion plan to beef up the border. That did not deter Trump, who has ramped up his rhetoric in recent days insisting the tariffs are coming and threatening to use “economic force” to annex Canada and make it the 51st state.
LeBlanc has travelled to Florida twice since Trump won the U.S. election in November to meet with the president-elect and key members of his team.
He first accompanied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate for dinner, where a small Canadian delegation tried to make the case that tariffs would hurt American citizens and Canada’s economy. It was in response to that argument that Trump reportedly first made the quip that Canada ought to join the United States — something LeBlanc told reporters at the time was “clearly a joke.”
The Liberals are meeting for the first time since Trudeau announced Monday he plans to step down as leader once a successor is chosen.
The national meeting, set to take place both in person and online, was originally set to last six hours to give MPs time to discuss Trudeau’s previous refusal to resign.
Now, the focus will be on next steps for the party as it begins a national search for a leader who can hold their own against popular Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Some from the party caucus, including cabinet ministers Jonathan Wilkinson, Steven MacKinnon and Karina Gould, are fielding calls from members of the party rank-and-file and seriously considering leadership bids.
Wilkinson told reporters Wednesday he’s speaking with his family about the possibility.
“I would also say that the conversations with my colleagues are very important. I want to ensure that I have a sufficient amount of support to be competitive in the race if I’m going to enter it, but I do think I have some important things to say,” he said.
Other ministers, including Chrystia Freeland, Anita Anand and François-Philippe Champagne, are making the rounds with MPs and party members to gauge their support.
Top Liberal brass are gathering behind closed doors all week to get the leadership contest underway.
The national party board has to assemble a leadership vote committee to organize and set rules for the coming race. Those rules could take days to produce once the committee is struck.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2025.
