Employment Minister Stephen MacKinnon has said he will not join the race to become the next leader of the Liberal Party.
MacKinnon says he feels the competition to be the next leader needs diverse, experienced and realistic voices in both English and French.
While he feels he can be that voice, the Gatineau MP says the brevity of the leadership race will not allow him to run the kind of campaign he wants to run.
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Instead of vying for leadership, he says he will focus on his ministerial responsibilities and listen closely to help make an informed decision about who should replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau announced in early January that he would resign as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party once a replacement is chosen.
So far, former Montreal MP Frank Bayliss and MP Chandra Arya of Nepean, Ontario, have joined the race, while former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney has indicated through his campaign team that he will launch a leadership bid late next week.
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