Two recent cabinet ministers officially launched their campaigns for Liberal party leadership Sunday, with each pledging a rethink of the federal carbon levy and a tough stance against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

At her launch event in Burlington, Ont., Karina Gould announced she would be stepping down as Government House leader to focus on the race and pledged to better reflect young Canadians. Just two Liberal MPs were present.

Moments later, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland vowed to use her experience to unify the country against Trump91裸聊视频檚 tariffs at a Toronto rally attended by at least 10 MPs 91裸聊视频� and interrupted several times by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Between the two campaign launches, Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly announced she is backing former central banker Mark Carney for Liberal leader, in the race91裸聊视频檚 first major endorsement from a Quebec minister.

Gould and Freeland both pledged to change federal carbon pricing 91裸聊视频� a constant target of attacks from the Conservative party 91裸聊视频� in their speeches.

Gould pledged to freeze the carbon price, but not to abolish it.

91裸聊视频淲e need to immediately cancel the increase to the price on pollution ahead of April 1,91裸聊视频� she said, adding that the Liberal party needs to make electric vehicles and efficient home heating more affordable.

Freeland said she would revisit carbon pricing because Canadians 91裸聊视频渄on91裸聊视频檛 like91裸聊视频� the consumer levy, which makes some fuels more expensive but returns revenue to individuals and green retrofits.

91裸聊视频淒emocracy means when people tell you something, you have to listen. And I will say our party hasn91裸聊视频檛 been good enough at that,91裸聊视频� she said.

A campaign spokeswoman later clarified that Freeland91裸聊视频檚 pledge is to 91裸聊视频渞eplace the consumer carbon price with a system that will work within our federation and will be developed collaboratively with provinces and territories.91裸聊视频�

Freeland also provided more details about the disagreements with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before she quit cabinet on Dec. 16.

91裸聊视频淭he difference didn91裸聊视频檛 start then. For some time, I had been in disagreement with the prime minister, specifically over spending. Those disagreements got worse after president Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on our country,91裸聊视频� she said.

Gould also called for 91裸聊视频渁 serious review of the capital-gains tax increase,91裸聊视频� a policy the Liberals proposed that has faced pushback from the Conservatives, wealthy Canadians and business owners.

She said the policy should not threaten tech innovators and promised 91裸聊视频渕ore to say on that in the coming days.91裸聊视频�

Gould also claimed that the Liberals91裸聊视频� backtracking on electoral reform 91裸聊视频� which she oversaw as minister of democratic institutions in 2017 91裸聊视频� was due to the first Trump administration91裸聊视频檚 tariffs distracting from other matters.

91裸聊视频淚f we were going to do something as big as bring(ing) forward electoral reform, we needed to have the energy of the country behind us,91裸聊视频� she said.

Gould suggested the country can91裸聊视频檛 have another electoral-reform debate during the tariff threat, but could reopen the issue later.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 office noted on Sunday that both Freeland and Gould voted for the carbon levy dozens of times, and repeatedly spoke in favour of the policy.

The leader91裸聊视频檚 office dubbed Freeland a 91裸聊视频渄evoted disciple of the carbon tax91裸聊视频� and quoted Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 Jan. 6 resignation speech, in which the prime minister called Freeland 91裸聊视频渁n incredible political partner through just about everything we have done as a government and as a party over the past decade.91裸聊视频�

In a news release, the Conservatives also noted that Gould was in charge during a high-profile mishap.

91裸聊视频淎s minister of social development, she was responsible for the brutal delays Canadians were forced to endure when they applied for a passport,91裸聊视频� it reads, referring to a massive post-pandemic backlog in processing passports while Gould was minister of families, children and social development.

Both Gould and Freeland argued the Conservatives would capitulate to U.S. demands in a tariff war.

Freeland accused Poilievre of being 91裸聊视频渨eak91裸聊视频� in addition to being 91裸聊视频渕ean,91裸聊视频� and said he would 91裸聊视频渟ell us out91裸聊视频� to Trump.

91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 afraid to fight back against people he admires,91裸聊视频� she said.

Freeland91裸聊视频檚 campaign rally in Toronto was interrupted several times by protesters who shouted and banged on a side door.

91裸聊视频淧rotest doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean drowning out other people91裸聊视频檚 voices; that is entirely unacceptable,91裸聊视频� she said.

In a written statement, protest organizers said they targeted Freeland91裸聊视频檚 campaign because they are critical of the Canadian government91裸聊视频檚 approach to the war in the Gaza Strip.

Freeland said she will seek re-election as a Liberal MP regardless of whether she wins party leadership, adding that all other contenders should make the same pledge.

She pitched herself as a steady hand to unify Canadians, citing her roles during the first Trump administration and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gould said she has credibility as someone with deep roots in the party, and can mobilize youth to advance affordability, safe communities, functional health care and environmental protection.

91裸聊视频淐anadians have lost trust in our party,91裸聊视频� said Gould, who at 37 is the youngest candidate in the race so far.

91裸聊视频淚t is time for a new generation of leadership 91裸聊视频� who91裸聊视频檚 not going to stand behind a podium and read a speech that was prepared by somebody else 91裸聊视频� no. Someone who speaks from the heart.91裸聊视频�

Joly91裸聊视频檚 endorsement of Carney comes in a race where none of the three most prominent candidates are Quebecers nor speak French as their first language. Former Quebec backbencher Frank Baylis is also running for leader.

Last week, some francophone pundits deemed Carney91裸聊视频檚 ability to read the French portions of his campaign launch speech and answer questions as insufficient for a debate between leadership candidates.

Candidates have until Jan. 23 to declare they are running and begin a series of entry fee payments to the Liberal party so they can join the race.