By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-06 17:46:52 | Updated at 2025-01-10 16:52:15
3 days ago
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is the top contender to become Canada's new prime minister following Justin Trudeau's resignation on Monday.
Poilievre, 45, has a 92 percent chance of becoming Canada's next prime minister in October's elections, according to Polymarket.
As expected, Trudeau, 53, resigned on Monday, raising questions about who would take over the ruling Liberal Party, or if power could switch to the Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October.
In Canada's political system, the prime minister is not elected directly, but chosen by the members of the majority party in parliament — currently the left-leaning Liberals.
But as the Liberal party struggles in the polls, that could change in October's parliamentary elections. If the Conservatives obtain parliamentary majority, they will place their leader Poilievre as prime minister.
Trudeau will remain in power until his party selects a new leader, which they will need to do before general elections in the fall that polls forecast Conservatives winning.
It comes as US president-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, threatening huge tariffs on its northern neighbor and even offering suggesting that Canada could become America's 51st state.
Poilievre has previously said Canada needs an immediate election and requires a prime minister who can face Trump from a position of strength.
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday in Ottawa
Poilievre, 45, has a 92 percent chance of becoming Canada's next prime minister in October's elections, according to Polymarket
'We cannot have a chaotic clown show running our government into the ground,' he said.
Trudeau's departure after nine years' in office left the party without a permanent head at a time when polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the Conservatives in the 2025 election.
An increasing number of Liberal parliamentarians, alarmed by a series of gloomy polls, had publicly urged Trudeau to quit.
Other possible successors that have been floated in last months include Trudeau's ex-finance chief Chrystia Freeland and banking boss Mark Carney.
DailyMail.com takes a look at the contenders for Canada's top job.
Pierre Poilievre
Pierre Poilievre has led the Conservatives since 2022
Poilievre has led the Conservatives since 2022 and is a key candidate to replace Trudeau if voters boot the Liberals out of office in this year's election.
He campaigns for more oil and gas production and against Trudeau's botched immigration policy, which led to hundreds of thousands of arrivals, straining an already overheated housing market.
The Conservatives currently hold a 21-point lead over the Liberals. Online gambling sites give Poilievre even better odds at becoming the country's leader this year.
Poilievre says he could increase Canada's exports to the US and strike a 'great deal' with Trump, who has vowed to use punishing tariffs on Ottawa as a way to reduce a trade deficit.
Speaking with right-wing Canadian influencer Jordan Peterson this month, Poilievre said he would quickly greenlight new oil refineries, liquefied natural gas plants, nuclear facilities and hydropower schemes.
In the interview, he said Trump 'negotiates very aggressively, and he likes to win, but in the end, he doesn't appear to have a problem if his counterparty also wins.'
'And so I think that we can get a great deal that will make both countries safer, richer, and stronger,' he added.
Chrystia Freeland
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his then-ally Chrystia Freeland
The former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Freeland among Truedua's key political allies until she recently resigned from the cabinet of her increasingly embattled and unpopular boss.
She pushed back against Trudeau's proposals for more spending, accusing him in a letter of 'political gimmicks' rather than focusing on what was best for the country of 40 million people.
Freeland, a former journalist, is a huge figure in Canadian politics, and has been hailed as one of the few people who could save the Liberals from a massive looming electoral defeat.
The married mom-of-three from Alberta speaks five languages and studied at Harvard University and the University of Oxford.
Dominic LeBlanc
Dominic LeBlanc, 57, is a close ally of Trudeau and has held a number of key cabinet roles
Seasoned Liberal politician Dominic LeBlanc is a close ally of Trudeau and was brought in as Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs to replace Freeland, who abruptly resigned last month.
The 57-year-old is a close friend and ally of Trudeau and has been in a number of key cabinet roles since the prime minister swept to power in 2015.
According to reports, Trudeau has already discussed with LeBlanc whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister.
But that plan was deemed unworkable if LeBlanc plans to run for the leadership, a source said.
Mark Carney
Thanks to his background in global banking, Carney is seen as an asset for a Canada
Carney, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, is positioning himself to run in a potential Liberal party leadership battle should Trudeau resign.
He's long been touted as a potential leader for Canada. In recent days, he's reportedly fielded dozens of calls to Liberal politicians who view him as a potential replacement for Trudeau.
His background in banking and finance is seen as an asset for a country that could soon be fighting a tariff war with Trump's America.
The 59-year-old studied at Oxford University and Harvard University and previously worked at Goldman Sachs.
Carney serves in a number of philanthropic and business roles, including as chair of Brookfield Asset Management and Bloomberg Inc.
