Two recent cabinet ministers officially launched their campaigns for Liberal party leadership Sunday, with each pledging a rethink of the federal carbon levy and a tough stance against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
At her launch event in Burlington, Ont., Karina Gould announced she would be stepping down as Government House leader to focus on the race and pledged to better reflect young Canadians. Just two Liberal MPs were present.
Moments later, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland vowed to use her experience to unify the country against TrumpB次元官网网址檚 tariffs at a Toronto rally attended by at least 10 MPs B次元官网网址� and interrupted several times by pro-Palestinian protesters.
Between the two campaign launches, Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly announced she is backing former central banker Mark Carney for Liberal leader, in the raceB次元官网网址檚 first major endorsement from a Quebec minister.
Gould and Freeland both pledged to change federal carbon pricing B次元官网网址� a constant target of attacks from the Conservative party B次元官网网址� in their speeches.
Gould pledged to freeze the carbon price, but not to abolish it.
B次元官网网址淲e need to immediately cancel the increase to the price on pollution ahead of April 1,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that the Liberal party needs to make electric vehicles and efficient home heating more affordable.
Freeland said she would revisit carbon pricing because Canadians B次元官网网址渄onB次元官网网址檛 likeB次元官网网址� the consumer levy, which makes some fuels more expensive but returns revenue to individuals and green retrofits.
B次元官网网址淒emocracy means when people tell you something, you have to listen. And I will say our party hasnB次元官网网址檛 been good enough at that,B次元官网网址� she said.
A campaign spokeswoman later clarified that FreelandB次元官网网址檚 pledge is to B次元官网网址渞eplace the consumer carbon price with a system that will work within our federation and will be developed collaboratively with provinces and territories.B次元官网网址�
Freeland also provided more details about the disagreements with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before she quit cabinet on Dec. 16.
B次元官网网址淭he difference didnB次元官网网址檛 start then. For some time, I had been in disagreement with the prime minister, specifically over spending. Those disagreements got worse after president Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on our country,B次元官网网址� she said.
Gould also called for B次元官网网址渁 serious review of the capital-gains tax increase,B次元官网网址� a policy the Liberals proposed that has faced pushback from the Conservatives, wealthy Canadians and business owners.
She said the policy should not threaten tech innovators and promised B次元官网网址渕ore to say on that in the coming days.B次元官网网址�
Gould also claimed that the LiberalsB次元官网网址� backtracking on electoral reform B次元官网网址� which she oversaw as minister of democratic institutions in 2017 B次元官网网址� was due to the first Trump administrationB次元官网网址檚 tariffs distracting from other matters.
B次元官网网址淚f we were going to do something as big as bring(ing) forward electoral reform, we needed to have the energy of the country behind us,B次元官网网址� she said.
Gould suggested the country canB次元官网网址檛 have another electoral-reform debate during the tariff threat, but could reopen the issue later.
Conservative Leader Pierre PoilievreB次元官网网址檚 office noted on Sunday that both Freeland and Gould voted for the carbon levy dozens of times, and repeatedly spoke in favour of the policy.
The leaderB次元官网网址檚 office dubbed Freeland a B次元官网网址渄evoted disciple of the carbon taxB次元官网网址� and quoted TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 Jan. 6 resignation speech, in which the prime minister called Freeland B次元官网网址渁n incredible political partner through just about everything we have done as a government and as a party over the past decade.B次元官网网址�
In a news release, the Conservatives also noted that Gould was in charge during a high-profile mishap.
B次元官网网址淎s minister of social development, she was responsible for the brutal delays Canadians were forced to endure when they applied for a passport,B次元官网网址� it reads, referring to a massive post-pandemic backlog in processing passports while Gould was minister of families, children and social development.
Both Gould and Freeland argued the Conservatives would capitulate to U.S. demands in a tariff war.
Freeland accused Poilievre of being B次元官网网址渨eakB次元官网网址� in addition to being B次元官网网址渕ean,B次元官网网址� and said he would B次元官网网址渟ell us outB次元官网网址� to Trump.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 afraid to fight back against people he admires,B次元官网网址� she said.
FreelandB次元官网网址檚 campaign rally in Toronto was interrupted several times by protesters who shouted and banged on a side door.
B次元官网网址淧rotest doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean drowning out other peopleB次元官网网址檚 voices; that is entirely unacceptable,B次元官网网址� she said.
In a written statement, protest organizers said they targeted FreelandB次元官网网址檚 campaign because they are critical of the Canadian governmentB次元官网网址檚 approach to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Freeland said she will seek re-election as a Liberal MP regardless of whether she wins party leadership, adding that all other contenders should make the same pledge.
She pitched herself as a steady hand to unify Canadians, citing her roles during the first Trump administration and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gould said she has credibility as someone with deep roots in the party, and can mobilize youth to advance affordability, safe communities, functional health care and environmental protection.
B次元官网网址淐anadians have lost trust in our party,B次元官网网址� said Gould, who at 37 is the youngest candidate in the race so far.
B次元官网网址淚t is time for a new generation of leadership B次元官网网址� whoB次元官网网址檚 not going to stand behind a podium and read a speech that was prepared by somebody else B次元官网网址� no. Someone who speaks from the heart.B次元官网网址�
JolyB次元官网网址檚 endorsement of Carney comes in a race where none of the three most prominent candidates are Quebecers nor speak French as their first language. Former Quebec backbencher Frank Baylis is also running for leader.
Last week, some francophone pundits deemed CarneyB次元官网网址檚 ability to read the French portions of his campaign launch speech and answer questions as insufficient for a debate between leadership candidates.
Candidates have until Jan. 23 to declare they are running and begin a series of entry fee payments to the Liberal party so they can join the race.
