Liberal leadership candidates to face off in first of 2 debates Monday
Candidates competing to become the next leader of the federal Liberals and Canada’s prime minister are gearing up for a French-language debate in Montreal tonight. Four contenders successfully cleared their final financial hurdle last week and will be on the ballot to replace the outgoing leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. These candidates include Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada; Chrystia Freeland, former finance minister and deputy prime minister; Karina Gould, former House leader; and Frank Baylis, former Liberal MP. Unfortunately, a fifth potential candidate, Ruby Dhalla, was disqualified from the race on Friday.
The French-language debate will be followed by an English-language debate on Tuesday, marking the only opportunity for all four candidates to share a stage before Liberals elect their new leader on March 9. Former TVA-Québec anchor Pierre Jobin will moderate the French leadership debate, while former CBC News host Hannah Thibedeau will moderate the English debate.
The topics for the debate were released by the Liberal Party on Saturday, covering issues such as Canada-U.S. relations, growing the economy, environmental protection, energy security, affordability, housing, and healthcare. Mark Carney appears to be the front-runner in the race, having secured the most donations and Liberal caucus endorsements. He has hinted at policies including tax cuts for the middle class, reversing capital gains tax changes, and boosting defense spending.
Chrystia Freeland has distanced herself from Trudeau’s policies, promising to eliminate the consumer carbon tax and capital gains tax changes. She presents herself as a strong negotiator, particularly in dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump. Karina Gould focuses on affordability concerns, proposing changes to employment insurance and a temporary cut to the GST. Frank Baylis emphasizes government reform, LNG pipelines, green technology investment, and healthcare modernization using AI.
Ruby Dhalla, the disqualified candidate, positioned herself as an outsider in the race but was removed for violating campaign rules. The debate will provide a platform for the remaining candidates to showcase their leadership qualities and policy proposals in front of a national audience. Watch CBC News for special coverage of the debates and stay informed about the future leader of the Liberal Party and potential prime minister of Canada.
