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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he will step down after nearly a decade in power, following weeks of speculation about his political future.
He added that parliament would be prorogued until March 24 to give the Liberals time to choose a new leader.
“Once the party elects a new leader, I intend to resign as party leader and prime minister,” Trudeau said.
“Parliament has been paralyzed for months,” Trudeau said Monday in Ottawa. “This country deserves a real choice in the next election. It was clear to me that if I had to fight a domestic battle, I would not be the best option in that election.”
The 53-year-old Prime Minister’s popularity is at a historic low after voters and party members turned against him following a turbulent period of speculation about his ability to govern the G7.
The New Democratic Party, a key ally in parliament, announced last month that it would no longer support the minority Liberal government and, along with other opposition parties, would support a vote of no confidence and call a general election as early as early January. .
Prime Minister Trudeau’s move to prorogue (or prorogate Parliament) means he can avoid a vote of no confidence, sparking a backlash from his critics.
Pierre Poièvre, whose Conservatives lead the Liberals by 25 points in polls, has repeatedly called for Prime Minister Trudeau to resign or call an early election, citing Canada’s looming challenge to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. .
Mr. Poièvre on Monday accused Trudeau’s party of trying to “deceive voters by replacing the face of another Liberal Party in order to continue to deceive Canadians.”
Liberal MP’s “only opposition” [to Trudeau] The problem is that he is no longer popular enough to win elections and remain in power,” Poièvre added in a statement on X. “They want to protect their pensions and salaries by getting rid of hated leaders months before elections.”
President Trump, who has repeatedly mocked Trudeau in recent weeks after threatening to impose tariffs on Canada, made another broadside on Truth Social on Monday after the prime minister’s announcement.
“Many people in Canada love being our 51st province. The United States can no longer suffer from the huge trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to survive,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. I knew this and resigned,” he wrote. President Trump said that if Canada merged with the United States, there would be no tariffs and security from Russia and China.
Born in Ottawa, Trudeau is the son of Pierre Trudeau, the charismatic Liberal leader who served as prime minister from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984, and lived in Vancouver until being elected Liberal leader in April 2013. Worked as a school drama teacher.
His tenure as prime minister began in October 2015, when the young newcomer led the Liberal Party to a landslide victory over the Conservative Party and its unpopular leader Stephen Harper.
During his time in office, Prime Minister Trudeau passed legislation that decriminalizes soft drugs, advances gender equality, promotes reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and urgently tackles climate change. He also pledged to host 25,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the war in their home country, despite concerns about immigration levels.
But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity has collapsed over the past year due to rising costs of living and the housing affordability crisis. His efforts to boost Canada’s post-pandemic economy through record immigration also faced widespread backlash.
Angus Reid public opinion poll According to a public opinion poll released on December 30th, the proportion of voters planning to vote for the Liberal Party has fallen to 16%, the worst level since Trudeau took office, while the Prime Minister’s disapproval rate according to the polling organization istrudeau tracker” reached a record high of 74%.
The sudden resignation of former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who was once a close ally of the prime minister, on December 16 following a dispute with Trudeau over government spending led to her resignation from both the opposition and her own party. There have been renewed calls for this.
Prime Minister Freeland thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his “many years of service to Canada and Canadians” on Monday’s X show. I wish him and his family all the best. ”
Following Freeland’s move last month, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said on Dec. 20 that his party intends to withdraw support from Trudeau and the Liberal Party. Mr. Singh also promised that his party’s voting bloc would consider overthrowing the government when Parliament reconvenes at the end of January, a comment that all but guarantees Trudeau’s party will lose power.
Singh said Monday that Trudeau has let Canadians down “time and time again.” He added: “It doesn’t matter who leads the Liberal Party. They don’t deserve another chance.”
The Canadian dollar has been hovering around its lowest level in about five years against the US dollar, but it weakened slightly to C$1.436 following Prime Minister Trudeau’s announcement. The US dollar continued its gains on the day as it withstood broad declines against rival currencies.
Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite stock benchmark rebounded from morning losses and was up 0.3% at midday in Toronto.
Additional reporting by Peter Wells in New York
