CNN
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced his resignation on Monday, saying he intends to step down from the highest job and because the chief of Canada’s ruling Liberal Occasion as soon as a brand new celebration chief is chosen.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader,” the 53-year-old chief instructed reporters at a information convention in Ottawa on Monday.
Canada’s parliament shall be suspended till March 24 whereas a brand new Liberal Occasion chief is chosen, he additionally mentioned.
Trudeau added that he has “one regret” – failing to reform Canada’s election course of, forward of a basic election anticipated this fall.
“If I have one regret, particularly as we approach this election — well, probably many regrets that I will think of,” the outgoing chief mentioned. “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, chief of the Liberal Occasion for 11 years and prime minister for 9, was dealing with a mounting set of crises, from Donald Trump’s tariff threats to the resignation of key allies and disastrous opinion polls. His resignation may very well be seen as selecting to leap earlier than he’s pushed, forward of a basic election to be held later this yr that he’s extensively anticipated to lose.
Trudeau took the Liberals to energy in 2015, promising “sunny ways” for Canada. He championed progressive points like combating local weather change and addressing historic abuses towards Indigenous peoples, however the latter years of his premiership have been marked by rising financial discontent.
A viral confrontation with a metal employee, who criticized Trudeau for not addressing the excessive value of residing, captured the rising discontent amongst Canadians.
“You’re not really doing anything for us, Justin,” the employee remarked, highlighting a sentiment that resonated extensively.
Trudeau’s authorities was additionally rocked final yr by the shock resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, simply hours earlier than she was as a result of ship her annual fiscal replace.
In a blistering letter of resignation, she criticized Trudeau’s “political gimmicks,” possible referring to a two-month gross sales tax vacation and 250 Canadian greenback ($175) rebates for many staff.
Freeland mentioned Canada may “ill afford” these insurance policies, seen as a pre-election handout to claw again some voters, and coming because the nation faces the intense prospect of giant tariffs which may very well be levied by the incoming Trump administration.
US President-elect Donald Trump, set to return to the White Home on January 20, has mentioned he’ll signal an govt order imposing a 25% tariff on all merchandise coming into the US from Canada. Trump has additionally taken to belittling Trudeau and the nation of Canada on social media, referring to the prime minister because the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”
The Liberal Occasion nationwide govt, which controls management points, is scheduled to satisfy this week, possible after the caucus. Suspending parliament is designed to present the celebration time to decide on a brand new chief.
Doable replacements embody the previous governor of each the Financial institution of England and Financial institution of Canada Mark Carney, overseas minister Mélanie Joly, and former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland.
The hope is {that a} new celebration chief may deliver the Liberals out of their funk, earlier than a basic election set to be held on or earlier than October 20. Present polls present Trudeau’s Liberal Occasion behind the opposition Conservative Occasion, led by the firebrand Pierre Poilievre.
“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,” mentioned Trudeau on Monday.
Trudeau was elected thrice, most lately in 2021, when he remained in energy however misplaced his governing majority. Since then, Poilievre’s Conservative Occasion has constructed a lead over the Liberal Occasion of greater than 20% in nationwide polling averages.
Trudeau instructed reporters on Monday that Poilievre’s conservative imaginative and prescient “is not the right one for Canadians.”
“Stopping the fight against climate change doesn’t make sense. Backing off on the values and strength and diversity that Canada has always, always, worked to pull itself together on is not the right path for the country. Attacking journalists, the CBC institutions, that’s not what Canadians need in this moment. We need an ambitious, optimistic view of the future – and Pierre Poilievre is not offering that,” he mentioned.
Reacting to Trudeau’s resignation Monday, President-elect Trump doubled down on the concept that Canada and the US ought to merge.
“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,” he mentioned on Reality Social.
“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!!!” he added.
Poilievre, who has already discovered foreign money with the MAGA base, bolstering his place as a possible candidate for this yr’s basic election amid an incoming Trump administration, additionally seized on Trudeau’s resignation to make a proposal to Canadian voters.
“Canadians can take back control of their lives and their country,” Poilievre mentioned in a video put up on X. “Take again management of our border. Take again management of immigration. Take again management of spending, deficits and inflation.
“We’ll cap spending, axe taxes, reward work, build homes, uphold family, stop crime, secure borders, rearm our forces, restore our freedom and put Canada first,” he mentioned.
And Freeland, a potential contender to exchange Trudeau, who mentioned in December that she and Trudeau had “found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” thanked him for his service on Monday.
“I thank Justin Trudeau for his years of service to Canada and Canadians. I wish him and his family the very best,” she wrote on X.
Trudeau mentioned at Monday’s press convention that he had hoped Freeland would proceed as his deputy, “but she chose otherwise,” declining to supply extra element on their conversations.
