Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes an announcement outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Jan. 6.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Everyone who runs for the Liberal leadership faces a conundrum: They have to portray themselves as the future of Canadian liberalism, when their task is really saving the furniture.

Even with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepping aside, it’s hard to imagine that the Liberal Party of Canada’s support will be lifted so high they can beat Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in a spring election. The Liberals’ standing in polls suggests they’ll be fighting to save a stronger rump of seats, based mainly in Toronto and Montreal.

Yet moving on from Mr. Trudeau also has to mean moving away from Mr. Trudeau. Voters clearly want change, and you’d expect Liberal members will hope to find the new face of liberalism.

Those are two different things.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc is a skilled political communicator in both French and English, and some Liberals think he might be able to save the furniture. But the lifelong friend of Mr. Trudeau and veteran of his cabinet is not the picture........

© The Globe and Mail