Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly will not run for the Liberal Party leadership, becoming the second high profile cabinet minister to bow out of the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A source told CBC that Joly will make the announcement today.
Joly’s decision follows Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who said on Wednesday that he would not run.
Meanwhile, several cabinet members are weighing potential leadership bids.
Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon have expressed interest but are waiting to review the contest rules before committing.
The field of possible contenders includes former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who has publicly acknowledged his interest.
Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former British Columbia premier Christy Clark, and House Leader Karina Gould are reportedly building support for their leadership bids.
The leadership race will end on March 9 when party members choose both their new leader and Canada's next prime minister, following Trudeau's resignation on Monday.
