Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc not seeking Liberal Party leadership

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose name has been circulating as a potential Liberal leadership contender, says he will not be seeking the party’s top job.

In a statement, the New Brunswick MP said he is touched by support he received but said Canada is at a critical juncture in its relationship with the U.S., and said he believes he can better serve the country by working to stop president-elect Donald Trump from imposing steep tariffs on Canadian goods.

The threat these tariffs pose to our nation’s economic well-being and to the livelihood of a countless number of Canadian families cannot be understated — and as such, it requires nothing less than my full attention, the minister said.

Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric, threatening Tuesday to use “economic force” (new window) to make Canada the 51st state.

LeBlanc’s decision comes as Liberal MPs gather in Ottawa with the daunting task of choosing a new leader — quickly.

WATCH | What happens now that Trudeau says he’ll step down?:

Trudeau says he’ll step down. What happens next?

Justin Trudeau has announced that he is stepping down as Liberal leader. CBC’s Catherine Cullen breaks down what happens next.

After a cascade of calls to resign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he’ll step down as soon as his party chooses a successor.

The Governor General has also agreed to his request to prorogue Parliament until March 24. That gives the Liberals just over two months to mount a leadership campaign and ready for an all-but-certain spring election.

Whoever takes over the Liberal leadership would become Canada’s next prime minister, although it could be a very short tenure.

Trudeau’s Liberals have been trailing the Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives by more than 20 points in the polls for more than a year. The opposition parties have been clear they plan to vote non-confidence in the government at their first opportunity, triggering an election.

The national caucus meeting, which was on the calendar before Trudeau’s announcement earlier this week, is set to take place on Parliament Hill and last about six hours.

Some names for leadership consideration are already coming out of the woodwork.

Cabinet colleagues Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson have told CBC they’re considering a bid.

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has also said he is mulling a campaign.

Sources said former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, whose abrupt resignation last month likely hastened Trudeau’s decision, has been making calls.

Some Liberals already naming preferred candidates

While no one has officially launched a campaign, some MPs are already lining up behind candidates at least informally.

Toronto—Danforth MP Julie Dabrusin said she thinks Freeland would be an amazing candidate.

I think that she’s shown that she has experience in negotiating with the United States in tough times; she’s been really good with working with our provinces, she said before the Ontario caucus meeting Tuesday night.

Ottawa-area MP Anita Vandenbeld said she’d be interested in an outside candidate like Christy Clark. The former premier of British Columbia has expressed an interest in wanting to be part of the conversation on the future direction of the Liberal Party.

I think we need someone who can really bring new people in, she said.

How and when the party will choose that person isn’t yet clear. Neither the rules governing the leadership process nor a date have been announced.

Liberal party executives say they are also gathering this week to figure out a way forward.

This article is republished from RCI.