In response to pressure from MPs concerned by his Liberal Party’s dismal performance in pre-election polls, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that he will resign within the next few months after nine years in office.
One of the most well-known progressive leaders in the world, a muted Trudeau, stated during a news conference that he will continue to serve as both prime minister and head of the Liberal Party until the party selects a new leader in the coming months.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau stated.
Additionally, he declared that parliament will be halted until March 24th, or prorogued.
Trudeau will continue to be in control, at least initially, of handling the possibility of devastating tariffs once U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. This is because an election is unlikely to be held before May at the latest.
No matter who is in charge of the party, surveys indicate that people who are upset about exorbitant costs and a lack of reasonably priced homes will pick the opposition Conservatives and deliver the Liberals a crushing loss in the upcoming election, which is scheduled for October 20.
Following the resignation of his finance minister, disgruntled Liberal parliamentarians publicly urged Trudeau to step down and accused him of using “political gimmicks” to gain back support.
Outside his home, Trudeau told reporters, “I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one is,” as the temperature dropped to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit).
“But I have always been driven by my love for Canada … and it has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard into the next election.”
FATIGUE FACTOR
Trudeau, 53, became one of Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers and received praise from progressives for his emphasis on gender parity legislation. He entered power in November 2015 with a message of optimism and “sunny ways” and was reelected twice.
However, his fortunes never recovered once his popularity began to decline two years ago due to rising housing and grocery prices in the post-COVID era.
According to a Dec. 22 Ipsos Canada poll, the Conservatives had 45% of the vote among respondents who had made up their minds, while the Liberals and the left-leaning New Democrats each had 20%. A significant Conservative victory would follow from such a result on election day.
Opposition parties had pledged to overthrow Trudeau’s minority administration as soon as possible, and Parliament was initially scheduled to reconvene on January 27. The earliest they could introduce a motion of non-confidence, however, would be somewhere in May, as parliament doesn’t return until March 24.
Although he did not specify how long it would take, Trudeau stated that he has requested the Liberal Party to start a leadership contest. The Liberals would be led into the next election by a new party leader who would take over as prime minister right away.
According to Shachi Kurl, head of pollster Angus Reid, the Liberal party was still having problems even though a new leader might be able to stop losses.
“Wearyness is a factor. In a phone conversation, Kurl stated, “This is a government in its tenth year—at some point the milk just expires.” “I think the milk has turned pretty sour.”
According to Philippe Lagasse, an associate professor and constitutional specialist at Carleton University in Ottawa, proroguing parliament might still hurt the Liberals with voters even if it would allow them to select a leader without fear of an election sabotaging the process.
“I believe the public is prepared for an election. This is only postponing their desire to move on,” he stated.
Business organizations and the premiers of the nation’s ten provinces are concerned about liberal infighting and believe Ottawa should concentrate on potential tariffs from the Trump administration.
The premier of Ontario, the most populous province, Doug Ford, stated that “Canada needs to demonstrate stability and strength at this critical moment, and the federal government must urgently explain to Canadians how they will avoid tariffs that could have devastating effects.”
Up until recently, Trudeau has been able to ward off Liberal lawmakers who were concerned about the low polling and the loss of safe seats in two special elections held last year.
However, since he attempted to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet colleagues, last month when she resisted his spending demands, calls for his resignation have increased.
Instead, Freeland resigned and wrote a letter criticizing Trudeau for his “political gimmicks” instead of considering what was best for the nation.
Two possible contenders to succeed Trudeau, Freeland and former central banker Mark Carney, also thanked him for his service in brief speeches.
Pierre Poilievre, a professional politician who gained notoriety in early 2022 for his backing of truck drivers who occupied the heart of Ottawa in protest of COVID-19 vaccine regulations, is the leader of the Conservatives.
In a statement, Poilievre reiterated calls for a speedy election, saying, “The country spirals out of control while leaderless Liberals focus on saving their jobs and fighting each other for power.”
Reiterating his prior remarks that Canada would benefit from becoming the 51st U.S. state and griping about Canada’s trade surplus with the United States, Trump responded to Trudeau’s statement.
“The enormous trade deficits and subsidies that Canada requires to remain afloat cannot be tolerated by the United States any longer. He stated on Truth Social that Justin Trudeau quit because he was aware of this.
