OTTAWA – Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he won’t join the race to become the next leader of the Liberal party.
MacKinnon says he feels the competition to become the next leader needs diverse, experienced and pragmatic voices in both English and French.
While he feels he could be that voice, the Gatineau MP says the short length of this leadership race wouldn’t allow him to mount the kind of campaign he wants to run.
Rather than vie for the leadership, he says he will focus on his ministerial responsibilities and will listen closely to help make an informed choice around who should replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau announced in early January that he would resign his role as prime minister and Liberal party leader as soon as a replacement is chosen.
So far, former Montreal MP Frank Baylis and Nepean, Ont., MP Chandra Arya have joined the race, while former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney signalled through his campaign team that he will launch a leadership bid late next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2025.
