OTTAWA – Some Liberal MPs are pressing Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc to change his mind and run for the party leadership.
LeBlanc bowed out of the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday before it even kicked off. He announced he intends to stay on as finance minister via a social media post made just ahead of a national Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.
Liberal MP Judy Sgro said she’s leading an internal push to encourage him to enter the race and that “more than a dozen MPs” she spoke with Wednesday are pining for him to reverse his position.
“Absolutely, he should reconsider,” she said. “Dominic is immensely qualified, experienced, been here a long time, grew up in politics, understands how it all works. I think he’d be a fabulous leader to take us into the next election.”
MP Yasir Naqvi said “a lot of effort” is being put into convincing LeBlanc to run. His caucus colleague Francesco Sorbara said he personally told LeBlanc on Wednesday he should join the race because he would be a strong candidate.
Jennifer O’Connell, who posted her plea on social media along with Mark Gerretsen, said LeBlanc “has what it takes to beat Pierre Poilievre and I think he has broad support from caucus.”
Just before Wednesday’s caucus meeting got underway, LeBlanc surprised many of his fellow Liberal MPs by posting a statement to social media thanking his supporters for their encouragement and saying he has 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.”
LeBlanc told reporters ahead of the meeting 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.
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. Trump has doubled down on 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.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said that as she considers whether to launch a leadership bid of her own, she’s also asking herself whether she can leave cabinet at a critical time for Canada’s foreign policy.
“I very much know that I’m the minister of foreign affairs at a time where it’s extremely difficult with the American administration, the incoming one. That’s why I’ll continue my reflection,” she said.
Joly said that while she’s receiving a lot of support from across the country, she’s also factoring in her family, her desire to become a mother and the need to defend Canada’s national interests from Trump’s trade threats.
“We have to be extremely ready because the threat of tariffs is real,” she said.
The Liberals gathered in person Wednesday for the first time since Trudeau announced on Monday he plans to step down as leader once a successor is chosen.
Wednesday’s national meeting was focused on next steps for the party as it begins the search for a leader who can hold their own against popular Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Potential high-profile leadership aspirants include former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former central banker Mark Carney and former B.C. premier Christy Clark. None of them have officially declared they intend to run.
James Maloney, parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice, said he’s ready to back Freeland if she chooses to enter the race.
Freeland was at the meeting but did not stop to speak with reporters. Neither did Liberal party president Sachit Mehra, who left the caucus room late Wednesday afternoon.
Other cabinet ministers, including Anita Anand and François-Philippe Champagne, have been making the rounds with MPs and party members to gauge their support.
Champagne told reporters he has “a lot to reflect on over the weekend” and suggested he’ll make his decision as soon the party draws up the rules for the race and releases them.
Cabinet members Jonathan Wilkinson, Steven MacKinnon and Karina Gould are all fielding calls from members of the party rank-and-file and are seriously considering leadership bids.
Wilkinson told reporters Wednesday he’s speaking with his family about the prospect of a leadership run. He said that anyone else interested in seeking the leadership will need to make a decision within a week or two.
“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.
MacKinnon said he’s “absolutely considering running” for the leadership because the race needs a candidate who “understands the whole country, who values all the regions of Canada and who is able to communicate their ideas in every region.”
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 and dates for the coming race. Those rules could still take days to produce. Once the rules are set, that could quickly set off a flurry of declarations by contenders.
Rob Oliphant said he’s leaning toward supporting Joly, Freeland or Champagne — ministers he has worked closely with in his role as parliamentary secretary — but will wait to see who decides to run.
“I’m just like my mother,” he said. “My mother had four children and she loved them all equally.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2025.
