Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly has announced she will not run for Liberal party leadership, saying she plans to focus on her cabinet role in light of the tariffs threat from the United States.
“While I know I am ready to be the first woman to lead the Liberal Party of Canada, I must also recognize that the current international situation, especially the unjustified threat of tariffs and other economic pressures by the president-elect of the United States, requires a firm and urgent response,” Joly said in a statement released on Jan. 10.
Trump has said he will impose tariffs on Canada when he becomes president on Jan. 20, and has repeatedly talked about how Canada should merge with the U.S. to become the “51st state.”
Joly said while she had spoken with “dozens of friends, colleagues, and close advisors” who had encouraged her to run, she felt it necessary to spend “every minute of my time and all my energy” in her role as foreign affairs minister.
Joly, who was first elected to Parliament in 2015, previously told reporters on Jan. 8 that she was reflecting on whether she would run as leader, and that she was weighing factors such as her role in dealing with the U.S. administration and the potential impact on her family.
Since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Jan. 6 that he would resign after the Liberal Party had chosen a replacement, several MPs and political outsiders have been considering whether to run.
Candidates wishing to run to replace Trudeau have only until Jan. 23 to decide, and must pay a $350,000 fee to enter the race. The race is set to conclude on March 9, with a vote taking place on the same day.
The party has also announced changes to who can vote in the leadership race, limiting it only to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Non-permanent residents had previously been allowed to vote, but concerns have been raised by MPs about this opening the race up to foreign interference.
So far, only two candidates have announced they would run for leadership of the party. Businessman and former parliamentarian Frank Baylis was the first to announce he would be running as leader, while Liberal MP Chandra Arya announced he would be running on Jan. 9.
Several cabinet ministers have said they are considering running in the leadership race, including Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon. Former finance and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, who has been floated as a potential candidate, has yet to publicly express her intent to run.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced on Jan. 8 that he would not run for the Liberal leadership, as he wanted to remain focused on his job of preparing for potential tariffs from the United States. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has also ruled out running for the job.
Former B.C. Premier Christy Clark and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney have previously said they are considering a run for the job as well.
