Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly Will Not Participate in Liberal Party Leadership Race, Highlights Importance of U.S. Relations

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly Will Not Participate in Liberal Party Leadership Race, Highlights Importance of U.S. Relations

Ottawa, January 10, 2025 — Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Friday that she would not participate in the Liberal Party leadership race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She stated that due to the threat of tariffs from the U.S., she wants to remain focused on the critical Canada-U.S. relations and her ministerial duties.

This decision follows that of another senior cabinet member, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who also cited the importance of their official responsibilities in opting out of the leadership race. Joly explained her decision by saying, "I decided to put my country's interests first."

She further explained, "There were two questions on my mind when I made this decision. The first was: Am I ready to be the first woman to lead the Liberal Party? And I said yes. The second was: Am I ready to step away from my responsibilities as Foreign Minister at a time when Canada-U.S. relations are at such a crucial juncture? And I said no."

So far, several cabinet members, including Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon, have expressed their interest in running for leadership. Additionally, former central bank official Mark Carney and former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland have also shown interest in the role.

Following the Liberal Party's announcement of the leadership rules, candidates must declare their intentions by January 23.

The Liberal Party will elect their new leader on March 9, and that leader will become Canada’s next Prime Minister.