| DECISION TIME — Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE will reveal whether he's in or out of the Liberal leadership race during a fireside chat at the Canadian Club Toronto at 12:40 p.m. Also on the agenda alongside journalist AMANDA LANG: AI, economic security, supply chains and critical minerals. Champagne will hold a media avail at approximately 1:30 p.m. — Hint, hint? As CP first reported, Liberals can declare their support online for most of the potential leadership candidates. We found pages for CHANDRA ARYA, FRANK BAYLIS, MARK CARNEY, CHRISTY CLARK, CHRYSTIA FREELAND, KARINA GOULD and JONATHAN WILKINSON. For Champagne, we found only an inactive page. — Prepare for launch: The Hill Times reported Monday that Carney will launch his campaign on Thursday in Edmonton. Playbook confirmed with a source familiar with Carney's thinking that he's expected to launch later this week. Radio-Canada was first to report that Freeland is expected to launch her own bid for the leadership next week before DONALD TRUMP's inauguration on Monday. Freeland is said to be considering a "dollar-for-dollar" response to the president-elect's tariff threat — a trade war far beyond the scale of previous spats with Trump. LATE NIGHT WITH CARNEY — The Hill Times reported Monday that Carney will launch his campaign on Thursday in Edmonton. Playbook confirmed with a source familiar with Carney's thinking that he's expected to launch later this week. — While you were sleeping: Carney showed up on “The Daily Show” last night. The former Bank of Governor for Canada and the U.K. took several opportunities to make a joke during the 20-minute interview, playing along with host JON STEWART rather than pushing his talking points. Like when Stewart described Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE as a “fictional J.K. Rowling name at best” who’s “like a villain in a Karate Kid movie,” Carney quipped back “you’re not far off.” — Overnight views: 250,000-plus. Here’s what else stood out: — On being a part of the U.S.: “The bottom line, it’s not gonna happen. …We find you very attractive, but we’re not moving in with you. It’s not you, it’s us,” Carney joked. “We can be friends. There can be a few benefits, Jon. Friends with benefits. Benefits of trade, benefits of defense.” — On Trudeau’s resignation: “In a situation like this you need change. You need to address the economy. We’ve got an economic crisis because of what Mr. Trump is about to do — or saying he’s about to do. But we also have challenges in housing, cost of living,” he said. “And truth be told, the government has not been as focused on those issues as it could be. We need to focus on them immediately.” — Teasing his pitch: “A wild hypothetical: Let’s say the candidate wasn’t part of the government. Let’s say the candidate did have a lot of economic experience. Let’s say the candidate did deal with prices. Let’s say the candidate had a plan to deal with the challenges in the here and now,” he said, while proclaiming, “I am an outsider.” — Keep 'em guessing: Everybody knows Carney is joining the leadership race. Still, Stewart failed to extract a clear answer on Carney's plans — and joked about him playing coy. Welcome to the club, Jon. INDIGENOUS VOICE — Liberal MP JAIME BATTISTE plans to enter the Liberal leadership race, CBC News reported Monday. "I am laying the groundwork for an exploratory team that will seek to launch the first campaign by an Indigenous candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party Canada, and to be the next prime minister of Canada," wrote in a statement. The Mi'kmaw MP from Cape Breton claims to have raised C$40,000 — a little over 10 percent of the C$350,000 entry fee into the race. Battiste acknowledged the odds. "There must always be people willing to try … even if their journey is one meant to pave the way for future generations," Battiste said, citing Manitoba politician ELIJAH HARPER as a precursor to Premier WAB KINEW. | 
