Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as Liberal Party leader and will end his term as PM as soon as an internal party successor has been named, Trudeau told the press at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday morning.
Trudeau’s resignation ends his nine-year term in power, marked by an open-revolt ending with numerous Liberal MPs calling for his resignation in recent weeks. Trudeau, before resigning, was the longest-serving leader in the G7, leaving as the global leadership group faces mounting challenges.
Trudeau’s grip on the role came to a screeching halt last month (16 December) when Canada’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, submitted her resignation just hours before she was set to deliver her regular fiscal and economic update.
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In a letter technically addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (but really to the world), Freeland laid out her case:
- She claimed Trudeau was pushing her out of the finance job, and so rather than accept another role, Freeland resigned.
- But the real kicker was when she wrote, on Canadian letterhead, that she and her boss had been “at odds about the best path forward for Canada” for weeks.
But Trudeau’s issues didn’t start in December: his approval rating has been languishing around 30% for months. He’s unpopular both for classic incumbent reasons (housing, cost of living, migration) but also for Trudeau-specific reasons (critics say he’s weak, aloof, too progressive, etc).
Trudeau’s ousting could also be a play by the Liberal Party to strengthen its waning hand in this year’s elections, which will have to take place before the end of October. Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Canadian Conservative Party, is currently favoured to win.
Governor General Mary Simon has honoured Trudeau’s request to prorogue the House until March 24th, effectively ending all House of Commons’ outstanding legislation and shifting back MPs return until 24 March (previously 27 January).
