All 5 candidates clear latest Liberal leadership financial hurdle
All five candidates have successfully raised the $125,000 required for their Liberal leadership bid before Friday’s deadline, allowing them to continue competing for the chance to become the next Liberal leader and potentially Canada’s next prime minister.
In order to qualify to run for Liberal leader, candidates must pay a total of $350,000 in instalments. The first two payments of $50,000 each were necessary to kickstart their campaigns and gain access to the party’s membership list. The final instalment of $125,000 is due on February 17th.
Karina Gould, former House leader, expressed her gratitude to her supporters in a post on X published on Friday. She announced, “I can officially report that, after another record-breaking day yesterday, we’ve reached today’s fee deadline.”
The other four candidates approved by the party are also determined to stay in the race to potentially replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chrystia Freeland’s campaign confirmed that the former deputy prime minister has paid the required fee. Montreal businessman Frank Baylis assured CBC’s Power & Politics host David Cochrane that he was on track to meet the February 7 deadline without any issues.
Former central banker Mark Carney and former MP for Brampton-Springdale, Ruby Dhalla, have also met the payment deadline according to their respective spokespersons.
Karina Gould raised concerns about the high entrance fee set by the party, stating that it may discourage potential candidates from running. She criticized the party establishment for potentially excluding individuals from the race. Despite the challenges, Gould remains confident in her campaign’s ability to meet the fundraising requirements.
The Liberal Party is set to select its new leader, and by extension, the next prime minister of Canada, on March 9th. The competition among the candidates continues as they strive to secure the leadership position.
