Freeland calls for 4 Liberal leadership debates, challenges rivals to run no matter who wins
Former deputy PM says beating Poilievre will take 'every ounce of strength from us all'
Liberal leadership hopeful Chrystia Freeland is calling on the Liberal Party to hold four debates between now and March 9, when registered members will choose the next prime minister.
"Canadians deserve to see us debate our ideas and the path forward for our party and our country without delay," she wrote in an open letter to her competitors that was shared widely.
"We must show Canadians that we, as a party, are up to the task of defeating Pierre Poilievre."
The former finance minister is calling for two debates in each official language.
The Liberal Party has not yet said when or where or how often candidates will debate. The party's leadership vote committee is in charge of setting up the rules.
According to the leadership rules, released last week, so far the party is committing to "at least" one debate in English and one in French.
Party spokesperson Parker Lund said they will have more to say about the debates "in due course."
In her letter, Freeland also called on her fellow candidates to commit to run as a Liberal MP no matter if they win or lose leadership. She made a similar challenge in her campaign launch speech Sunday.
"Defeating Pierre Poilievre will demand every ounce of strength from us all," she wrote in Friday's open letter.
"By committing to be a part of this team for the long haul, we can show Canadians that we're not in this for ourselves — we're in it for them."
Carney says he'd be committed to constituents
While the race is young, former central banker Mark Carney is shaping up to be Freeland's chief competitor, lining up endorsements from dozens of Liberal MPs, including high-profile cabinet ministers.
The former Bank of Canada governor has tried to pitch himself as an outsider and "not the usual suspect when it comes to politics."
At his campaign launch in Edmonton last week, he was asked by a reporter if he would be prepared to stay with the party "if it doesn't go your way."
"First thing, I need to become an MP, and I will be making a commitment to those constituents to serve them, whatever happens in the election," Carney said
At least seven candidates, including Freeland and Carney, said they've submitted their paperwork and met the first financial hurdle to enter the race, although it could still take a few days to see who's made the cut.
Former House leader Karina Gould, Nova Scotia MP Jaime Battiste, Ottawa MP Chandra Arya and former MPs Frank Baylis and Ruby Dhalla all said they sent in their nomination packages by Thursday's deadline and made the first $50,000 payment of the $350,000 total entry fee.
Gould and Arya have already committed to run in the next election.
Baylis said in a statement he will remain "committed" to the Liberal Party regardless of the outcome, but didn't say he'll run as an MP again. He represented the Montreal-area riding of Pierrefonds-Dollard from 2015 to 2019.
"Let me be clear: I intend to win this leadership race, and that's what I am focused on," he said.
"However, if the new leader is someone other than myself, I will gladly sit down with them and offer my full support in any way they need, according to their vision and priorities."
CBC News has reached out to the other camps for comment.
The leadership race is running on an extraordinary tight timeline following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation announcement earlier this month and ahead of an anticipated spring election.
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