Following today’s announcement, Harjit Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness, has declared he will not seek re-election this year, marking yet another high-profile Liberal departure—this time, while endorsing Mark Carney to take over a sinking party.

Failed Housing Minister Sean Fraser also announced he will not seek re-election and resigned from cabinet before the new year. He, too, has thrown his support behind Carney.

While confidence in Carney’s ability to win the leadership race appears high among the Trudeau Liberals, their faith in winning the next general election remains alarmingly low.

Currently, the Liberals sit 24 points behind the Conservatives on average across multiple national polls.

With the number of so-called “Liberal safe ridings” dwindling to around 30 seats nationwide, Carney may struggle to find a riding where he has genuine local ties to run for office.

Despite claiming his “roots” are in Edmonton when launching his campaign there, it is highly unlikely that his party will win a single seat in Alberta.

Notably, Carney’s Edmonton event barred journalists from The Counter Signal, Western Standard, and at least seven other independent media outlets, preventing them from questioning the former banker on his policies and past decisions.

Despite these challenges, Carney is expected to meet all leadership race requirements, including financial deposits and regional endorsements, thanks to his popularity among party insiders, Trudeau’s cabinet, and his multi-million dollar net worth.