OTTAWA

Vancouver Liberal MP Joyce Murray appears ready to join a crowded field of candidates for the leadership of the federal Liberals.

The former B.C. cabinet minister has issued a statement saying she'll "discuss her plans regarding the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada" during a Monday news conference in Ottawa.

If Murray joins the race for top Grit, she'll be the ninth candidate to do so.

The list of hopefuls is set to grow again Wednesday when Montreal MP and former astronaut Marc Garneau jumps into the fray.

The Liberals are coming off a tough week after leading leadership candidate Justin Trudeau was forced onto the defensive over comments he made in 2010 about "too many" Albertans in the federal government.

Earlier in the week, Ottawa MP David McGuinty resigned as natural resources critic and apologized for telling Conservative MPs to "go back to Alberta" for not having a national outlook on energy issues.