Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation yesterday, stating that he will step down as prime minister and as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party once a new leader is chosen.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Ottawa.
“If I have one regret, particularly as we approach this election — well, probably many regrets that I will think of. But I do wish we’d been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second choice, or a third choice on the same ballot,” Trudeau remarked.
Trudeau also noted that Parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new leader for the Liberal Party leader is chosen.
The Backstory
Trudeau has led Canada’s Liberal Party since 2013, and has served as prime minister since 2015.
Not surprisingly, he campaigned on such liberal conceits as fighting so-called climate change and addressing alleged injustices against indigenous peoples and minorities.
The past several years of his tenure, however, have been plagued with criticism and internal turmoil within his own party.
Trudeau’s harsh Covid-19 policies led to the Trucker’s Convoys, and his government’s crackdown on those protests only made him more unpopular with many Canadians. Furthermore, economic issues, high cost of living, and the unavailability of affordable housing have served to heighten Canadians’ frustration with Trudeau’s administration.
His government was rocked after the December 16 resignation of Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Freeland expressed concern over U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to slap imports from Canada with 25-percent tariffs, and she labeled Trudeau’s paltry promise of a $250 check to any Canadian making less than $130,000 per year as a “costly political gimmick” (the measure did not pass Parliament). Several Liberal Party members of Parliament called on Trudeau to resign in the subsequent weeks, expressing that the party no longer had confidence in his ability to lead.
A poll conducted by Abacus Data after Freeland’s resignation showed that 67 percent of Canadians wanted Trudeau to resign, while only 19 percent wanted him to remain prime minister.
The Future
While Parliament is suspended, the Liberal Party will search for a new leader. Possible picks include former Bank of England and Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, and even Chrystia Freeland.
“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 remarked at his resignation.
The next Canadian federal election will take place on or before October 20, 2025.
As far as the opposition is concerned, the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre is now significantly ahead in many national opinion polls. Poilievre, calling himself a “true conservative,” has been described as a libertarian and a populist. His campaign theme for the next election is “Axe the Tax. Build the Homes. Fix the Budget. Stop the Crime.”
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has also made hay with Trudeau’s resignation announcement. He continued to float the idea that Canada and the United States should merge, posting on Truth Social:
Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned. If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!
