–Trudeau Buys Time for Liberal Party to Pick Leader That Can Fend Off Conservatives’ Lead in Polls
–Deputy Prime Minister Freeland, Former Bank of Canada Governor Carney Seen as Top Candidates but Party Support Uncertain
By Max Sato
(MaceNews) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he is stepping down as leader of his Liberal Party and the country, a move that had been expected in the face of mounting pressure to quit from both the opposition parties and his own caucus.
His resignation came as Canada is fighting a housing crisis, a broken health care system and the threat of stiff tariffs from the incoming U.S. administration. There is currently no strong candidate to replace Trudeau, who took office in November 2015 as prime minister (party leader since 2013).
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister,” the embattled leader told a news conference outside his official Rideau Cottage residence. He said he plans to stay on as prime minister until a new leader is chosen.
Trudeau has prorogued (suspended) parliament until March 24, which will buy his minority government some time to find a new leader who could unite the party ahead of general elections that are expected be held sometime this year. He said there will be a confidence vote in parliament in March.
Members of the House of Commons, the more dominant lower chamber, have a maximum five-year term but governments have called an election within four years of the previous polls. The last general election took place on Sept. 20, 2021.
Trudeau said he hoped Chrystia Freeland would stay on as deputy prime minister, referring to their close political partnership for 10 years, though he fired her as his finance minister last month. Trudeau criticized opposition parties for ‘obstructing’ parliament over the past few months, saying his minority government is the longest in Canadian history and has survived three no-confidence votes.
Freeland resigned from his Cabinet on Dec. 16, just hours before she was to deliver the government’s much-delayed fall economic statement, dealing the fatal blow to the Liberal Party leader who had been under immense pressure from within his own party to quit amid sagging public approval ratings.
A top candidate to replace Trudeau, Freeland, a journalist-turned-politician, has held key cabinet portfolios for nearly a decade, overseeing Canada’s policy on international trade, diplomacy and financial issues. It is still uncertain how much support she has in the party since leaving the Cabinet.
Mark Carney, who has headed the central banks of Canada and the UK, is also a contender for the leadership but he does not hold a seat in parliament and thus is little known among voters. He has been an advocate in the financial community for taking action against climate change.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had been calling on Trudeau to resign or call an election as he gained public support in a campaign against Trudeau’s carbon tax and lack of action on the rising cost of living. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, which had supported the minority government, had also recently asked Trudeau to resign.