Liberal Leadership Contenders Slightly More Feisty in English Debate, but Keep Aim on Trump, Poilievre

Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates (L–R) Karina Gould, Frank Baylis, Chrystia Freeland, and Mark Carney pose prior to the English-language debate in Montreal on Feb. 25, 2025. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

The candidates seeking to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau debated the best ways to face U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, as well as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during the Feb. 25 English-language debate in Montreal.

The debate saw former cabinet minister Karina Gould take more shots at other candidates compared to the previous night’s French-language debate, while former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took a veiled jab at front-runner Mark Carney, a former central banker.