Liberals to turn the page on the Justin Trudeau era as party selects successor

Liberals are gathering in Ottawa on the final day of their party’s leadership contest to vote for who they think is best to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the helm.

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney remains the presumed front runner and as of this weekend has lapped his opponents in fundraising figures by millions of dollars.

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, Liberal lawmaker Karina Gould and Montreal businessman Frank Baylis are all vying for the party’s top job.

The party is also expected to pay tribute to Trudeau this evening as it sends him off with a farewell.

The country should know for sure by this evening who will be the next prime minister- even if they only last in the role for a matter of weeks.

Speculation is swirling in Ottawa that the winner could replace Trudeau as prime minister within a matter of days and then within weeks call an early election.

If Carney wins, he would not be the first prime minister to be sworn in without having a seat in Parliament.

In June 1984, the unelected John Turner won the party leadership and succeeded Pierre Trudeau as prime minister two weeks later.

In 1925 and again in 1945, Canada’s longest-serving prime minister, Mackenzie King lost his seat but remained at the Liberal helm to form government, winning byelections months afterward in both cases.

As far back as Confederation, Sir John A. Macdonald was appointed by the governor general to form the first constituent government on July 1, 1867, but was not elected to the House of Commons until a few weeks later.