Freeland calls for Liberal leadership debates

Chrystia Freeland has called on fellow Liberal leadership hopefuls to take part in a series of debates prior to party members making their choice on March 9.

The formery deputy prime minister and finance minister said there should be two in French, and two in English.

"We must show Canadians that we, as a Party, are up to the task of defeating Pierre Poilievre," Freeland wrote in an open letter to Chandra Arya, Frank Baylis, Mark Carney, Karina Gould, Jaime Battiste, and Ruby Dhalla. "I am calling today for four candidates' debates — two in each official language — as soon as possible. Canadians deserve to see us debate our ideas and the path forward for our Party and our country without delay."

Freeland also called on each of the aforementioned candidates to join her in making a pledge to "run as a Liberal candidate in the next election and serve in the next Parliament — no matter the outcome of the leadership race."

"By committing to be a part of this team for the long haul," she explained, "we can show Canadians that we're not in this for ourselves — we're in it for them."

Of those running, only Arya, Gould, Battiste, and Freeland are currently elected members of the House of Commons, representing Nepean, Burlington, Sydney-Victoria, and University Rosedale, respectively.

Baylis and Dhalla previously served as members of parliament for Pierrefonds-Dollard and Brampton-Springdale, respectively, making Carney the only candidate who has never sat in the House of Commons as an elected official.

None of Freeland's competitors have publicly responded to her request.

According to the CBC, 37 members of the Liberal caucus have endorsed Carney, while 25 have thrown their support behind Freeland. Gould has received two endorsements.