LeBlanc says he’s not running for leader as Liberals gather for marathon caucus meeting

LeBlanc had been publicly encouraged to run by two Liberal MPs

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc has officially ruled himself out of the race to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In the wake of Trudeau’s announcement Monday that he intends to resign as prime minister, LeBlanc had been encouraged to run by Liberal MPs Mark Gerretsen and Joël Lightbound, who declared in separate media interviews that they would be favourable to LeBlanc’s candidacy.

But, with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatening tariffs against Canada, LeBlanc said he believes “the best way for me to serve our country is to direct my full attention to my job” at such a “critical juncture” in the relationship between the two countries.

Liberal MPs will gather for the first time Wednesday as a national caucus since Trudeau announced he would be stepping down as prime minister, with Parliament now suspended until late March.

MPs are expected to discuss the rules and length of the upcoming race to replace Trudeau.

More to come…

National Post

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Related Posts


This will close in 0 seconds