Arya said he would scrap the consumer carbon tax and immediately recognize Palestine as a sovereign state
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OTTAWA — Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc may be officially out of the running in the Liberal leadership race, but some less well-known politicians are already filling the void.
Ottawa Liberal MP Chandra Arya is the latest contender to throw his hat in the ring — much to the surprise of many Liberals. He made the announcement in a video on X, Thursday morning, making him the second unofficial contender seeking to lead the party.
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“I’m running to be the next prime minister of Canada to lead a small, more efficient government, to rebuild our nation and secure prosperity for future generations,” he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned on Monday after increasing pressure for him to step down in caucus. Hours later, former Montreal Liberal MP Frank Baylis confirmed he was interested in replacing Trudeau — months after saying he was considering it.
Baylis was MP for Pierrefonds-Dollard, considered one of the safest ridings in the country, from 2015 to 2019, before deciding not to run again. He is the executive chairman of Baylis Medical Tech, a company he sold to an American firm in 2022 for close to $2 billion US.
“I’m not saying that the polls aren’t looking difficult for Liberals right now, but I’m very optimistic about the party and where we can take it,” he said in an interview.
Arya, the MP for Nepean since 2015, said in a lengthy statement that as leader he would scrap the consumer carbon tax, immediately recognize Palestine as a sovereign state and make Canada sever its ties with the monarchy by making it a “sovereign republic.”
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Arya has also promised to “lead a small, more efficient government with a cabinet selected on merit and not on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) quotas.”
Just last month, the MP for Nepean signalled his support for Chrystia Freeland after she resigned as finance minister from Trudeau’s cabinet. Calling her a “credible and stable alternative,” he said she was best placed to deal with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
“Chrystia’s approach — polite yet firm — has demonstrated her capacity to stand up to even the most intimidating personalities, embodying the strength of an iron fist in a velvet glove,” he wrote in a letter shared on X on Dec. 20.
Freeland has not yet said if she is going to take a run at the leadership.
Nearly three weeks after posting his letter on social media, Arya is now offering his “knowledge and expertise” to help struggling Canadians with cost-of-living issues if he becomes Liberal leader.
“With prudence and pragmatism as my guiding principles, I will make the big and bold decisions needed to rebuild our economy and foster prosperity for all generations.”
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Baylis did not list specific promises he would implement as leader but said he would focus on putting in place a fiscally responsible government and said he would tackle bringing in well-paid jobs into Canada and invest in Canadian technology to tackle affordability.
“I’m absolutely for a well-disciplined, well-run government. That’s my skill set. That’s what I actually bring to the table,” he said.
Baylis was less committal on keeping the consumer carbon tax, which Arya would scrap.
“Am I married 100 per cent to the carbon tax? No, I’m open to hearing different ideas,” said Baylis.
“But I am absolutely wedded to saying we’re going to clean our air and we’re all going to benefit from it, and there’s going to be a cost. If anybody tells you there’s no cost or not to worry about it, they’re not being straight with Canadians.”
The return to the political centre and scrapping the consumer carbon tax are only some of the issues that Liberal MPs told the National Post they would like to see with a new leader.
Many caucus members were hoping that LeBlanc would be that candidate, but he disappointed many of them Wednesday by saying that he will not be seeking to replace Trudeau. They are now asking him to reconsider and hoping he will change his mind.
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The Liberal party’s national board is expected to meet on Thursday to determine the rules of the race and they should be announced shortly after. Many prospective candidates are waiting for those rules, which they say will be a defining factor in their decision.
François-Philippe Champagne, Mélanie Joly, Steven MacKinnon, Jonathan Wilkinson and Karina Gould are all members of cabinet mulling over a decision. Other prospective candidates include Freeland, former banker Mark Carney and former B.C. Premier Christy Clark.
National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com
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