Trudeau - bullied by Trump - quits
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“It’s time for a reset”, declared Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this evening, as he announced his resignation, marking the end of an era in Canadian politics.
Speaking from outside his home in Ottawa, Trudeau, who until today has insisted he would again lead his party to the polls later this year, declared: "This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it's become clear to me that, if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option”.
The 53-year-old confirmed he will resign as Liberal party leader and then as Prime Minister when a successor is found.
Trudeau, a former high school teacher and son of another Liberal prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, came to power in 2015 after his party won a decisive parliamentary majority.
As the longest-serving leader of his G7 peers, he’s had a decent innings. But he’s been under pressure from his own party to resign since the summer, thanks to his plummeting popularity ratings.
As of December, only 22 per cent of Canadians said they approved of his leadership. A sharp decline from the 55 per cent approval rating he enjoyed back in May 2020.
Though first elected on a wave of public fatigue with an incumbent Conservative government, polls indicate that Canada’s opposition Conservative party would be handed a decisive victory if elections were to be held today. Trudeau's Liberal party is trailing 20 points behind the Conservatives, with elections due in October.
While today’s resignation has hardly caught Canadians off guard, the real bombshell announcement came back in mid-December when Chrystia Freeland, a key ally of Trudeau’s for over a decade, quit as deputy PM and finance minister. A move that sealed the PM’s own political fate.
In an explosive resignation letter at the time, Freeland revealed that she and Trudeau were “at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” while indicating that the rift was heavily driven by disagreement on how to handle Donald Trump. “The incoming administration of the US is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism,” she warned, in reference to the 25 per cent tariff Trump has threatened to whack on all Canadian goods - a levy that would be devastating for the country’s economy.
This evening, Trudeau briefly made reference to the rift with his former deputy, telling reporters he had hoped she would continue in her role "but she chose otherwise".
Who will replace the outgoing Prime Minister? Perhaps Freeland herself. The 56-year-old was often said to be the brains of Trudeau’s political operation, hence her nickname “minister of everything”.
Another name being thrown around - that will resonate with a UK audience - is Mark Carney. The 59-year-old former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England has served in recent months as a special adviser to Trudeau.
As far as Canadians are concerned, a key priority for any Trudeau replacement will be a leader who is better equipped to handle Trump’s bullying.
Aside from threatening tariffs that would cripple the country’s economy, Trump is openly challenging the very idea of Canadian sovereignty.
Alongside eyeing up Greenland and the Panama Canal, the incoming US President has riled up “Governor Trudeau” by repeating his desire to make Canada a 51st American state.
Carney is said to have been vying for the party’s leadership role for quite some time. But, if he prevails, will he be a “Prime Minister” in Trump’s eyes - or is he about to be secure a third stint as “Governor Carney”?
Caitlin Allen
Deputy Editor
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