Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly not running for Liberal leadership

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OTTAWA — Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly will not be running for the Liberal leadership in the wake of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation, she announced on Friday.

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Joly said she was personally ready to lead the Liberal party, but that her current responsibilities made running for the job impossible.

“Am I ready at the same time to step away from my responsibilities as minister of foreign affairs at a time where it is a crucial time in the Canada-US relationship? The answer is no. And the reality is I can’t do both,” Joly told reporters on Friday morning, outside a meeting of the newly re-established cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations.

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Along with former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, Joly was touted as one of the Liberal heavyweights who might throw their hat in the ring.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc also announced this week that he would not be running for Trudeau’s job, because he wanted to focus on Canada’s relationship with the United States while U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatens tariffs on Canadian goods.

The Liberal party announced late on Thursday that the new leader will be announced on March 9, after party members cast their ballots. Potential contenders have until Jan. 23 to declare their candidacy and will owe a $350,000 entry fee.

Anyone voting in the race must be a Liberal member by January 27, be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have status under the Indian Act, and be at least 14 years old.

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