Liberal Leadership Race Heats Up as Freeland and Gould Join the Fray

The Liberal Leadership Race Heats Up

The Liberal leadership race is heating up as two prominent figures, Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould, are set to launch their campaigns on Sunday. This comes after former central banker Mark Carney officially announced his candidacy on Thursday.

Freeland, who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister under Justin Trudeau, will kick off her campaign at a youth club in Toronto. Gould, the House Leader, will make her announcement official at a restaurant in her home riding of Burlington, Ontario.

Both candidates face the challenge of distancing themselves from the unpopular Prime Minister Trudeau while chipping away at the Conservatives' lead. This is particularly true for Freeland, who has been a close ally of Trudeau for the past five years.

Freeland has already signaled a departure from some of Trudeau's policies. The Globe and Mail has reported that she may renounce the capital-gains tax and scrap the consumer-carbon pricing regime if elected leader.

Pollster Nik Nanos believes it will be difficult for Freeland to distance herself from Trudeau, given her close association with his policies. He sees Carney, who was not part of the Trudeau government, as having an easier time criticizing its economic policies.

Gould, on the other hand, is aiming to connect with the millennial voter demographic. She believes her age and experience make her well-positioned to address the challenges facing young Canadians.

Other candidates in the race include former Liberal MP Frank Baylis and current Liberal MPs Chandra Arya and Jaime Battiste. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has decided not to run, citing his work on the Canada-U.S. file.

The deadline for candidates to declare their intention to run and pay the entry fee is January 23rd. By that date, they must also submit signatures from 300 registered Liberals, including at least 100 from each of three different provinces or territories.

The Conservatives have already begun targeting the Liberal candidates. They launched an ad campaign on Thursday criticizing Carney's past support for a consumer price on carbon. They have also criticized Freeland's record as Finance Minister, pointing to the rising deficit.

The Liberal leadership race is sure to be a closely contested one. With several strong candidates vying for the position, the outcome remains uncertain.