Foreign Minister Melanie Joly will not run for Liberal leadership.
Up to now, Joly was widely considered a potential successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recently announced he would resign as leader of the Liberal party.
In a brief statement on X, Joly wrote that her primary focus would remain navigating the “unjustified threat” of tariffs coming from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
Over the past week, I have spoken with dozens of friends, colleagues and close advisors; many of whom have encouraged me to run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada,” reads her post.
“As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I must dedicate every minute of my time and all my energy to defending the interests of Canadians. Which is exactly what I am doing and will continue to do.”
When will Liberals choose a leader?
The Liberals are preparing to pick a new leader by March 9, and anyone looking to run must announce their candidacy by Jan 23 and pay an entrance fee of $350,000 – a significant jump from the previous fee of $75,000.
On Monday, Trudeau announced he would resign the job, citing battles within the party.
Earlier this week, veteran Liberal MP and cabinet member Dominic LeBlanc also said he would not run for party leadership.
Other longtime cabinet ministers, including former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon and Transport and Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand, are also on the shortlist of possible contenders to replace the leader.
I must dedicate every minute of my time and all my energy to defending the interests of Canadians. Which is exactly what I am doing and will continue to do. pic.twitter.com/NSGeA3OqVs
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) January 10, 2025
More details to come.
With files from CTV News Senior Political Correspondent Vassy Kapelos