I look at what the Americans just elected as their national leader and then at the current Liberal leadership contest, and I feel fortunate to live on this side of the 49th. Of course, compared to Donald Trump, anyone would look good.

Nonetheless, the two leading candidates for the Liberal leadership are not just anyone. They are two particularly gifted people, either one of which this country would be lucky to have as prime minister.

Chrystia Freeland, former finance minister and deputy PM, has degrees from Harvard and Oxford. She was an acclaimed business journalist who held editorial positions at the Financial Times, The Globe and Mail and Reuters. Her books include Sale of the Century: Russia’s Wild Ride from Communism to Capitalism and Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else. The latter brilliantly exposes the dangerously growing divide between the billionaires and the masses, anticipating President Biden’s recent warning to Americans.

In government, she has held a number of key portfolios. Her solid negotiating skills got us a greatly improved trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico while earning her the hatred of Donald Trump for demonstrating a superior grasp of the art of the deal.

And then there’s Mark Carney, also with degrees from Harvard (with high honours in economics) and Oxford (PhD in economics). He spent 13 years at Goldman Sachs in their Boston, London, New York City, Tokyo, and Toronto offices rising to co-head of sovereign risk, executive director for emerging debt capital markets, and managing director for investment banking. He then joined the federal Department of Finance as senior associate deputy minister and in 2007 was appointed governor of the Bank of Canada. He also later served as Governor of the Bank of England. That’s right—governor of not one but two national banks.

After his governorships he served as chairman at both Brookfield Asset Management and Bloomberg Inc. Among his international responsibilities he has served as the UN special envoy for climate action and finance. A candidate could hardly be better prepared to lead a nation in the modern era than having expertise in finance and climate change.

In summary, I cannot think of ever seeing two better candidates in a leadership race—a very high quality contest. Not that this will mean victory for the Liberals in the coming general election. The polls are against it, the Liberals need more than a new leader to rehabilitate themselves, and the electorate often not only fails to appreciate knowledge and experience but shies away from those they consider elite.

Nonetheless, we cannot avoid comparing these highly experienced and knowledgable adults with the juvenile leading the opposition.

So the race is on. May the best man/woman win.