Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland, second right, speaks as Karina Gould, lfrom eft, Frank Baylis, and Mark Carney look on during the English-language

Should she win the current federal Liberal leadership contest, Chrystia Freeland is pledging to scrap a controversial division of the Canada Revenue Agency that Muslim charities and civil liberties advocates have long accused of discriminatory auditing practices,

The stage was shared by four hopefuls: former governor of the banks of Canada and England Mark Carney, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Liberal government House leader Karina Gould, and businessman and former MP Frank Baylis.

Mark Carney, the front-runner in the race to become Canada’s next prime minister, squared off for the first time with rival Chrystia Freeland in a French-language TV debate that focused on how to handle US President Donald Trump.

Canada's Liberal Party leadership candidates, former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, former House leader Karina Gould and former Liberal MP Frank Baylis stand next to each other before participating in a French language debate ahead of the March 9 vote to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,

Canada's Liberal Party leadership candidates, former House leader Karina Gould shakes hands with former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, near former Liberal MP Frank Baylis, and former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland,

Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland speaks during the English-language Liberal Leadership debate in Montreal on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press