Justin Trudeau says he will step down as Canadian prime minister after a new party leader is elected

CNN
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Prime minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, saying he intends to step down from the top job and as leader of Canada’s governing Liberal Party once a new party leader is elected.

“I intend to step down as party leader, as prime minister, after the party elects its new leader,” the 53-year-old leader told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.

Canada’s parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new leader of the Liberal Party is elected, he also said.

Trudeau added that he has “one regret” — that he has not reformed Canada’s electoral process ahead of a general election expected this fall.

“If I have one regret, especially as we approach this election — well, I’ll probably have many regrets,” the outgoing leader said. “But I wish we had been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second election or a third election on the same vote.”

Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, faced a growing set of crises, from Donald Trump’s customs threats against resignation key allies and disastrous polls. His resignation could be seen as choosing to jump before he is pushed, ahead of a general election due later this year, which he is widely expected to lose.

Trudeau swept the Liberals to power in 2015 promising “sunny ways” for Canada. He championed progressive issues such as combating climate change and addressing historic abuses against indigenous peoples, but the final years of his premiership have been marked by growing economic discontent.

ONE viral confrontation with a steel worker who criticized Trudeau for not addressing the high cost of living captured the growing discontent among Canadians.

“You’re not really doing anything for us, Justin,” the worker remarked, highlighting a sentiment that resonated widely.

Trudeau’s government was also rocked last year by the surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, hours before she was due to deliver her annual fiscal policy update.

In a scathing resignation letter, she criticized Trudeau’s “political gimmicks,” likely referring to a two-month sales tax holiday and C$250 ($175) rebates for most workers.

Freeland said Canada can “ill-afford” these policies, seen as a pre-election handout to win back some voters, and which come as the country faces the serious prospect of huge tariffs that could be levied by incoming Trump -administration.

US President Donald Trump, who is due to return to the White House on January 20, has said he will sign an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all products coming to the US from Canada. Trump has also gained weight derogatory Trudeau and the country of Canada on social media, referring to the prime minister as the “governor” of “the great state of Canada.”

The Liberal Party’s national executive, which controls leadership issues, is scheduled to meet this week, likely after caucus. Suspending parliament is designed to give the party time to elect a new leader.

Possible replacements include former Governor of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada Mark Carney, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The hope is that a new party leader can bring the liberals out of their funk before a general election to be held on or before October 20. Current opinion polls show that Trudeau’s Liberal Party is behind the opposition Conservative Party, led by firebrand Pierre Poilievre.

“This country deserves a real election in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I am going to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau said Monday.

Trudeau was elected three times, most recently in 2021, where he remained in power but lost his government majority. Since then, Poilievre’s Conservative Party has built a lead over the Liberal Party of more than 20% in national polling averages.

Trudeau told reporters Monday that Poilievre’s conservative vision “is not right for Canadians.”

“Stopping the fight against climate change doesn’t make sense. Backing the values ​​and strength and diversity that Canada has always, always worked to come together on is not the right path for the country. Attacking journalists, CBC institutions , that’s not what Canadians need at this moment. We need an ambitious, optimistic view of the future – and Pierre Poilievre doesn’t offer that,” he said.

In response to Trudeau’s resignation on Monday, President-elect Trump doubled down on the idea of ​​Canada and the United States merging.

“Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st state. The US can no longer suffer the massive trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this and resigned,” he said on Truth Social.

“If Canada merged with the US, there would be no tariffs, taxes would drop way down, and they would be TOTALLY SAFE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese ships that constantly surround them. Together, what a great nation it would be!!! ” he added.

Poilievre, who has already found currency with the MAGA base bolstering his position as a potential candidate for this year’s general election amid an incoming Trump administration, also seized on Trudeau’s resignation to make an offer to Canadian voters.

“Canadians can take back control of their lives and their country,” Poilievre said in a video post on X. “Take back control of our border. Take back control of immigration. Take back control of spending, deficits and inflation.

“We will curb spending, slash taxes, reward work, build homes, sustain families, stop crime, secure borders, rearm our forces, restore our freedom and put Canada first,” he said.

And Freeland, a possible candidate to replace Trudeau who said in December that she and Trudeau had “found ourselves at odds over the best path forward for Canada,” thanked him for his service on Monday.

“I thank Justin Trudeau for his many years of service to Canada and Canadians. I wish him and his family all the best,” she wrote on X.

Trudeau said at Monday’s news conference that he had hoped Freeland would continue as his deputy, “but she chose something else,” and declined to provide more details about their talks.