Former Canadian finance minister Chrystia Freeland announced her candidacy to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party leader. Freeland, a close ally of Trudeau, resigned last month over spending disagreements, criticizing his leadership. Her departure caused unrest among Liberals amid poor poll performance and public dissatisfaction. Trudeau will step down after a new leader is chosen by March 9. Freeland’s main rival is former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney. Freeland, 56, previously served as finance and foreign minister and worked as a journalist before entering politics.