Oct 23, 2012- 11:38 AM
In his first interview since announcing that he was stepping down as Ontario's premier as soon as a replacement is chosen at a Jan. 25 leadership convention, McGuinty said he will not challenge Justin Trudeau to head up the federal Grits.
He was under considerable pressure to do so. Some of his closest advisers even went so far as to put together a campaign team, it was reported today.
The federal leadership race will kick off officially on Nov. 14 and run until April 14.
That he will remain Ontario's premier for half of that time factored into his decision not to run, as did the 10-year commitment needed to rebuild the federal branch of the party.
He said in an interview the 22 years he has spent in provincial politics is enough and he will seek new challenges outside the realm of politics.
Although Trudeau is the most visible of those seeking the federal party leadership, there are a handful of others looking to win the crown, including lawyers Alex Burton, Deborah Coyne and David Bertschi, as well as former MP Martha Hall Findlay, lawyer George Takach and Liberal house leader, and Canada's first astronaut, Marc Garneau.
