Amid global challenges, the declining popularity at home, and internal battles within the party, the Canadian Prime Minister resigned on January 6. Justin Trudeau has also resigned from the chair of head of the governing liberal party. However, Trudeau will remain in the chair till the party selects a successor to replace him to become the 24th PM of Canada.
The process of selecting a new PM for Canada is underway, however, parliament has been suspended till March 24.
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The decision comes as a strategic step before the Parliament election, which the liberal party somehow seems to be losing – primarily because of Trudeau’s declining popularity- and conservative is the clear favorite to come to reign, according to the public opinion polls.
Addressing a press conference, outside his residence in Ottawa’s chill morning on January 6, Trudeau said, “Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election, and it has become obvious to me, with the internal battles, that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard into the next election.”
Why Has Trudeau Resigned
After serving Canada for over nine years, Trudeau announced his resignation after his approval ratings dipped to a new low, with only 33% of Canadians liking him as Prime Minister late last year.
Notably, Trudeau narrowly survived a series of no-confidence votes for months.
The long-serving finance minister and close confidant of Justine Trudeau Chrystia Freeland’s resignation on Dec 16 – tied to the concerns of growing deficit and ongoing tariff tain from Trump- triggered Trudeau’s fall. It is noteworthy that Freeland disagreed with Trudeau’s way to respond trump’s apparent plan.
The US president-elect’s “America First” policy includes a 25% tariff for Canada. Freeland had warned Canada to take the threat “seriously” as Canada is the US’s biggest trade partner.
Moreover, Trudeau succumbed to record inflation, high food prices, and housing crunch. House prices in some areas jumped by 30-40 percent according to a report by The Guardian
Trudeau suffered complaints of being unresponsive to economic necessities and sympathetic to outsiders at the cost of the native population. The housing crunch is attributed to the influx of immigrants following the relaxation in immigration policy.
What’s Next For the Liberal Party And Canada
Trudeau will remain Prime Minister of Canada till the liberal party selects the face to replace him and into approaching the election.
Meanwhile, Parliament will remain suspended till March 24. The Liberal Party aims to rebrand itself amid recent opinion polls indicating the Conservative Party is gaining momentum and is now the clear frontrunner
Canada is on the cusp of significant change, with the impending replacement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a nationwide election to elect a new government. Amidst this transition, Canada faces a major challenge from the United States. The president-elect has been making comments about Canadian sovereignty, suggesting that Canada could become the 51st state of America.
Notably, Donald Trump had previously mocked former Prime Minister Trudeau, referring to him as a “governor” and Canada as a state of America.
“The Canadians are rightly freaked out about Trump’s repeated remarks about Canadian sovereignty,” Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, a non-profit polling firm based in Vancouver, tells NPR.
Another major challenge is the economic blow, too coming from Donald Trump, as president-elect’s “America first” economic nationalism plans to impose a 25 % tariff on Canadian products.
The United States president-elect has threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on its three largest trading partners – Canada, Mexico, and China – as soon as he takes office on January 20.
How Has Justin Trudeau’s Tenure Been
As Trudeau announced his resignation on January 6, he did not forget to use the opportunity to list his accomplishments during his tenure. He spoke about his milestones, including navigating the tumultuous Covid pandemic, renegotiating a free trade deal with the last Trump administration, and implementing a child benefit widely seen as helping alleviate poverty.
Notably, he was also found to have violated federal conflict of interest rules in the handling of a corruption inquiry – the SNC-lavalin affair – and for luxury trips to the Bahamas.
Paul Wells, a Canadian political journalist and the author of Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, recently told the BBC he believes Trudeau will be remembered “as a consequential” prime minister, notably for providing genuine leadership on issues like Indigenous reconciliation and, to some extent, climate policy.
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