Industry Minister Champagne will reveal his plans for the leadership race on Tuesday in Toronto
He’ll be making the announcement during a talk at the Canadian Club, hosted by Amanda Lang. It’s happening at 12:40 p.m., and they’ll chat about some pretty interesting topics like AI and economic security.
A bunch of other Liberals are also eyeing the leadership spot and are asking for support. Right now, seven potential candidates have their forms up on the party’s website to gather signatures.
Some big names like Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney are in the mix, along with a few cabinet ministers. But it seems Champagne hasn’t put up a page for signatures yet.
To officially enter the race, candidates need to collect 300 signatures from registered Liberals, including at least 100 from different provinces.
Recently, a couple of ministers, like Anita Anand and Steven MacKinnon, decided not to run, especially after the party set a hefty entrance fee of $350,000.
The vote is scheduled for March 9, and candidates must declare by January 23. There’s a lot to do in a short time, and everyone’s feeling the pressure.
Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi mentioned that it’s crucial to have a strong leader in place quickly, especially with a federal election coming up soon.
Trudeau’s office has confirmed he won’t be getting involved in the race, keeping things neutral. Meanwhile, the party is busy drafting the rules for the vote and setting spending limits. Beatrice Keleher Raffoul has been appointed as the chief electoral officer for the election.
