Mark Carney to announce Liberal leadership campaign in Edmonton on Thursday

Former central banker Mark Carney will launch his bid to lead the Liberal party in Edmonton on Thursday, as announced in a news release from Calgary Liberal MP George Chahal.

In an invitation to supporters to attend the event, Chahal describes Carney as a non-career politician.

“In a time of global challenges and economic opportunities, Mark Carney possesses the necessary experience and leadership skills to address these challenges and capitalize on the opportunities,” Chahal’s email stated.

Candidates have only a week left to declare their intention to run.

It is expected that former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and current cabinet minister Karina Gould will also announce their leadership bids soon.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, and Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc have all declined to run for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s position.

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The next Liberal leader must focus on ensuring the party is prepared for an early election once the short leadership race concludes in March.

The Liberals have 129 candidates nominated out of 343 federal ridings, while the Conservatives claim to have nearly 221 and the New Democrats have 93.

Although the Liberals currently hold 153 MPs in the House of Commons, many prominent caucus members, including Transport Minister Anita Anand, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Seamus O’Regan, and Dan Vandal have announced they will not seek re-election.

Per Randy Besco, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, the next Liberal leader will need to swiftly organize their campaign machinery, as senior members of Trudeau’s office may not be willing to continue under new leadership.

Besco also predicts that the Liberals may struggle to attract top talent due to the Conservatives’ substantial lead in the polls.

Furthermore, candidates entering the race late will face challenges due to limited time for door-to-door canvassing and fundraising before the election campaign begins.