Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as the head of state and chief of the ruling Liberal Party after months of facing a stiff internal revolt with demands for him to step down. In his announcement on Monday, however, Trudeau said that he will remain in office until his successor is elected.
As per Trudeau, the country’s parliament will remain suspended until March 24 until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen.
Following his announcement, the party has now been tasked to find his replacement, who will go on to contest the general elections scheduled to take place later this year, with several polls suggesting that they are likely to be defeated.
With only about two months left for the March 24 deadline, here are some of the top contenders who might be in the race to succeed Trudeau.
ANITA ANAND
In the last five years, Indian-origin Transport Minister Anita Anand has held several portfolios, including Public Services and Procurement; Defence; and President of the Treasury Board. Born to a Tamil father and Punjabi mother, the 57-year-old Oxford-educated academic was immediately added to Trudeau’s Cabinet after she was elected as an MP for Oakville in 2019.
She was, however, shuffled out of the Defence Ministry to oversee the Treasury Board until December 2024. During a Cabinet reshuffle last month, she was moved again into the role of Transport Minister and Internal Trade.
MELANIE JOLY
Melanie Joly held three other cabinet positions before being named Foreign Minister 2021.
The 45-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer has visited Ukraine several times, in a show of Canada’s support. She also made a trip to Jordan to oversee the evacuation of Canadian citizens following the eruption of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
As per a BBC report, Joly was tapped by Trudeau personally to run for a federal job in politics.
“He would periodically call me to say, ‘Melanie you need to run, we want you to run’,” she was quoted as saying.
CHRYSTIA FREELAND
Chrystia Freeland, known to be a Trudeau aide and one of the most powerful ministers in his Cabinet, announced her resignation as the Deputy Prime Minister in December 2024. Her announcement, which stunned the country, came as Trudeau had expressed a desire to shift her to another department.
The 56-year-old, who was also the Finance Minister, criticised the embattled Prime Minister’s plans for increased spending in her public resignation letter, only to increase pressure on Trudeau to step down.
A journalist before entering politics, Freeland entered the House of Commons in 2013 and two years later joined Trudeau’s cabinet with a trade brief after he swept the party to power.
MARK CARNEY
Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada Governor, has served as a special adviser to Trudeau in recent months.
Although the 59-year-old Harvard graduate has never held public office, Carney a strong economic background, serving not only in Bank of Canada, but also the Bank of England.
He was also the UN special envoy on climate action and is also known to champion ome Liberal policies that have been unpopular within the country’s conservative circles, like the federal carbon tax policy, which has been widely criticised.
FRANCOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE
Currently the Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, Francois-Philippe Champagne has since held several cabinet roles, including foreign affairs and international trade, since he was first elected in 2015.
The 54-year-old co-chairs the “Team Canada” approach to the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump, and also operates as one-third of Trudeau’s key economic team, which includes Trade Minister Mary Ng.
Before entering politics, Champagne held a senior role with the Swedish-Swiss multinational automation company ABB Group.
