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While the MPs said Freeland did not bring up the Liberal leadership, one of them felt the calls were connected to a potential leadership run,听while another said they were “impressed” by the outreach.听

Freeland’s calls come as her fellow MPs, party insiders and officials grapple with how the Liberals might replace Trudeau as he ponders his political future. Among the considerations is how to ensure that Canada can adeptly address U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threatened 25-per-cent trade tariffs, while ensuring Liberal party supporters would have a chance to choose a new leader before opposition parties stage an election-triggering confidence vote in the House of Commons.

There is also speculation about who might run to replace Trudeau to lead the Liberals into the next federal election campaign against Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, who hold a commanding lead in public opinion polls.听

Two Liberal sources with knowledge of Freeland鈥檚 thinking said this week that they believe Trudeau鈥檚 long-time political partner is mulling a bid to replace him if he steps down in the coming days.

鈥淚 think she鈥檚 actively considering,鈥� said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

鈥淪he would be a very capable contender.鈥�

The second source suggested Freeland 鈥� who served on Trudeau’s front bench since 2015 and as his deputy prime minister since 2019 鈥� might be better positioned for a leadership run since she resigned from cabinet last month.

In her resignation letter, which she posted online, the former finance minister said she had been “at odds” with Trudeau on the “best path forward for Canada,” and suggested the federal government was spending too much money when fiscal reserves should be kept to deal with the threat of a “tariff war” by Trump.听

Freeland resigned just hours before she was supposed to present a fiscal update that showed the government had blown past its target for the federal deficit by more than $20 billion.听

The source said they believe Freeland is now making efforts to ensure the door is open for a potential leadership run if Trudeau resigns.听

A spokesperson for Freeland did not say whether the former finance minister would seek the party leadership, but confirmed that she intends to run again in the upcoming federal election.听

“Ms. Freeland looks forward to running in the next election as the Liberal candidate in her riding of University鈥擱osedale,” Katherine Cuplinskas said.听

A source close to Freeland suggested the chatter about a potential leadership bid was getting ahead of itself, arguing she resigned from cabinet because the prime minister had lost confidence in her.听

Meanwhile, former British Columbia premier Christy Clark is preparing to run for leader if Trudeau steps down, said one Liberal insider with knowledge of the organizing that has gone on for Clark so far.

Clark called for Trudeau to resign last summer, and听told the Star at the time that people are encouraging her to seek the Liberal leadership if it opened up.听

“We know what a team would look like, and we have a theory for how to win,” the insider said, describing Clark as “the only change candidate” in a potential leadership race.

The insider said a possible Clark campaign would aim to attract a broad range of voters and stress economic issues, affordability and fiscal responsibility.听

Another potential candidate is Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly, according to a Liberal source with knowledge of her thinking. The source said Joly hasn’t yet decided if she would run, as she focuses on working with the incoming Trump administration and its threat of trade tariffs. The source also said Joly is wary of vying for the leadership only to lose the next election to Poilievre’s Conservatives.听

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has also been the frequent subject of leadership speculation, but has never confirmed he intends to run.听

Frank Baylis, a former Quebec Liberal MP and businessman, told the Star this week that “many people are encouraging” him to run for the leadership, and that he’s considering it if Trudeau resigns.听

“I will be happy to talk in detail about this, once the prime minister makes his decision about staying or leaving,” Baylis said by email.听

In recent days, signs have continued to emerge that Trudeau is losing the support of his own caucus. Liberal MPs from Ontario have said many of their colleagues agreed in a recent meeting that Trudeau should resign. The party’s Atlantic MPs, in a letter from Nova Scotia’s Kody Blois, have also called on him to leave and to hold a meeting to select an interim leader.听

Two Quebec MPs told the Star there is a consensus in that province’s Liberal caucus that Trudeau needs to resign.听

The calls come after a group of 24 Liberal MPs pushed in October for Trudeau to step down. More have come forward publicly since Freeland’s resignation, urging the prime minister to leave for the good of the party.听

Marcus Powlowski, a Liberal MP from northern Ontario, said Thursday that he believes there are several 鈥渞eally good candidates鈥� who could replace Trudeau and more effectively face off against the Conservatives.听

He named Freeland, Joly, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Industry Minister Fran莽ois-Philippe Champagne and Transport Minister Anita Anand as contenders he might favour.

鈥淲e would not do well in an election right now with the present leader,鈥� Powlowski said, referring to Trudeau.

鈥淲ith a new leader, we would do better.鈥�

Some MPs who spoke to the Star this week said they would like to see the prime minister prorogue Parliament 鈥� temporarily shutting it down to reset the legislative agenda 鈥� to give the Liberals time to choose a new leader.

Under the Liberal party’s constitution, the party’s board of directors sets the date for a leadership vote.

The rules include timelines that leadership candidates must submit paperwork at least 90 days before the vote, but two Liberal MPs 鈥� who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity 鈥� said they want a shorter race if Trudeau resigns, given the current circumstances.听

“The sooner the better, because that gives us more time to hold an open, democratic leadership process,” one MP said.听