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OTTAWA — Five months on, there is finally — and officially — a candidate to replace Mark Carney.

Tiff Macklem, now senior deputy governor at the Bank of Canada, broke his silence Tuesday, acknowledging publicly for the first time that he wants the top job when Mr. Carney departs.

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The admission came, perhaps surprisingly, during the usually staid proceedings of a parliamentary hearing.

Mr. Macklem, 51, responding to a question before the House of Commons finance committee, said that “if asked, I will serve.”

While seen as the obvious front-runner for the governor’s job, this is the first time Mr. Macklem has spoken about his aspirations.

He made the comment — viewed as a “duh-yeah” event by central bank watchers — while seated beside Mr. Carney, 48, who was making his last committee appearance before moving to the U.K., where he will take over the top position at the Bank of England.

Mr. Carney’s surprise announcement on Nov. 26 that he had accepted the BoE offer — after repeatedly saying he was not interested — set the succession ball rolling, and it continues to roll.