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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he would resign as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party amid growing opposition to his leadership.
“The fact is that despite all efforts to resolve this, Parliament has been paralyzed for months, after the longest session of a minority parliament in Canadian history,” Trudeau said in televised remarks outside his home in Ottawa, the Canadian capital. city. “I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a vigorous, competitive process across the country.”
Trudeau said Canada’s parliament will stand down until a new leader is elected. It will continue until the end of March, which will allow the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party.
“This morning I advised the governor general that we need a new session of parliament,” he said. “She granted this request and the House will now be adjourned until March 24.”
Trudeau, a former high school teacher and son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, became prime minister in 2015 after his Liberal Party won a decisive parliamentary majority. The Liberal Party won two more consecutive elections in 2019 and 2021, but lost the election, requiring him form a minority government with the left-wing opposition party, leaving his party dependent on allies for legislation.
At his news conference Monday, Trudeau called for a more unified political environment and proposed changes to Canada’s electoral process that would allow voters to seek “things they have in common instead of polarizing and dividing Canadians against each other.” He said the failure to change that process during his tenure was “particularly regrettable” leading up to the next election.
Why is Justin Trudeau resigning?
Trudeau’s leadership has faced significant challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, which has led to a loss of trust among Canadians from diverse backgrounds. Key issues such as housing affordability, the rising cost of living and high levels of immigration have contributed to widespread disillusionment. This growing frustration has led Trudeau’s Liberal supporters to begin calling for his resignation.
The surprise resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Dec. 16 further complicated Trudeau’s political landscape and threw his Liberal Party into disarray, reviving calls for him to step down.
In an explosive resignation letter posted online, Freeland said she and the prime minister had “diverged on the best path forward for Canada.” His housing minister resigned a week earlier.
Asked to reflect on Freeland’s departure, which some saw as the catalyst for Trudeau’s resignation announcement, the prime minister said he had hoped Freeland would agree to remain in his cabinet as deputy prime minister, “but she chose otherwise.” Trudeau declined to share more details about their “private conversations.”
Trudeau made a last-ditch effort to reshuffle his cabinet, hoping to add some stability to his government, but that too failed.
The editorial board of the Toronto Star published in and op-ed announced on December 16 that Trudeau was “seemingly more concerned with his own survival than the national interest”, urging him to leave “for the sake of his legacy, his party and his country”.
Toronto Police Association too he said in a social media post on Dec. 17 that she had lost confidence in the Trudeau government, saying it was “time to resign and leave these critically important public safety issues to someone else.”
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party and a one-time Trudeau ally, has threatened to topple the minority Liberal government through a vote of no confidence in the next session if he does not resign.
“Justin Trudeau has failed at the greatest job a prime minister has: working for the people, not the powerful,” Singh said in an online statement.
Trump’s threat of tariffs
Calls for Trudeau’s resignation gained momentum after US President-elect Donald Trump made the announcement potential blanket 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico if they do not take stronger measures against illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trump has taken aim at Trudeau and Canada in recent days, and the president-elect appears to be joking about the topic Canada becomes the 51st country with Trudeau as governor.
Some of Trudeau’s critics have suggested he can’t stand up Trump’s economic pressure and bullying.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called for early elections, while Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet warned it would be “absolutely irresponsible” to remain in such a volatile situation under Trudeau’s leadership.
Polls show Trudeau’s Liberal Party is 20 points behind the Conservatives, with an election looming in October.
