Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has endorsed Mark Carney in the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, arguing the former governor of the Bank of Canada has a "clear vision" for the future.

Carney disclosed his intentions to a crowd in Edmonton, Alberta, the western Canadian city where he spent the bulk of his youth, promising an economic agenda focused on lifting the country from a period of stagnant growth.

The former governor of the Canadian and British central banks announced he was running to become head of the Liberal Party and prime minister.