OTTAWA — Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and former B.C. premier Christy Clark both bowed out of the running for the federal Liberal leadership on Tuesday.
Champagne announced at an event in Toronto that he will not enter the race, saying he plans to remain focused on his current job.
"It was probably one of the most difficult decisions of my life," he said. "There are many ways to fight for Canada."
In a statement to her supporters, Clark said that her French skills are not developed enough and that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had called too short a leadership race to allow her to mount a successful campaign.
"I have made the difficult decision to step back," she said. "While we have come a long way, in a short time, there is simply not enough time to mount a successful campaign and for me to effectively connect with francophone Canadians in their language. I have worked hard at improving my French but it’s not where it needs to be today."
Clark's announcement comes just days after she was forced to backtrack from her claim that she was never a member of the Conservative party.
In an interview with CBC Radio that aired over the weekend, Clark denied that she became a party member and voted for former Quebec premier Jean Charest in the 2022 Conservative leadership race that elected Pierre Poilievre.
Clark said in the interview she never joined the party or received a ballot for the race. But the Conservative party provided a screenshot of their electronic records showing Clark was an active party member from June 2, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
Clark later posted a facepalm emoji on social media, said she misspoke in the interview and acknowledged that she had backed Charest to stop Poilievre from winning.
Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney are expected to announce their own leadership bids in the coming days.
Government House leader Karina Gould also plans to launch her campaign later this week, according to a Liberal source close to the minister.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Transport Minister Anita Anand have all ruled out leadership runs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2024.
— With files from Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton.
Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
