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Mélanie Joly Withdraws From Liberal Leadership Race Amid Trump's Tariffs Threat, Aiming to Be First Female Leader

Jan 10, 2025, 03:35 PM

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has announced that she will not be running in the Liberal leadership race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Joly, who expressed readiness to lead the party and potentially become its first female leader, cited the need to focus on her current role, particularly in dealing with the incoming Trump administration and the threat of tariffs on Canadian goods. She emphasized that her decision was driven by a sense of duty to her country during a crucial time in Canada-U.S. relations. Joly's announcement follows Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc's similar decision to bow out of the race to concentrate on his ministerial duties. The Canadian government is preparing retaliatory tariffs should the U.S. impose tariffs. Joly is scheduled to travel to Washington next week to address these issues. The Liberal Party has set the leadership contest to conclude on March 9, with potential candidates required to declare by January 23 and pay a $350,000 entry fee.