Based on data from the Angus Reid Institute, former journalist Freeland emerges as the Liberal candidate with the strongest potential to unseat Poilievre. Another prominent contender is former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, a fact not lost on the Conservatives, who have been targeting Carney for some time. Poilievre has gone so far as to dismiss Carney as “just like Justin.”
However, regardless of who ultimately succeeds Trudeau, political observers such as Cornell University government professor Peter Loewen express skepticism about the ruling party’s chances in the upcoming election. Loewen told NBC News, “It’s hard to imagine anyone coming in who can hold onto the government in the next election.”
Potential candidates within the Liberal Party include Dominic LeBlanc, who serves as Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs and shares a longstanding friendship with Trudeau, as well as Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. With Trudeau’s departure looming, the Liberal Party finds itself grappling with what appears to be an existential crisis.
McGill University’s Ajadi reflected on this shift, noting, “Trudeau was a singular figure in Canadian politics. There’s not another Justin Trudeau waiting in the wings.”
