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TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his 
resignation Monday after nearly a decade in power, bowing to rising 
discontent over his leadership and growing turmoil within his government 
signaled by the abrupt departure of his finance minister.

Trudeau, the latest incumbent to be driven out amid rising voter 
dissatisfaction worldwide, said it had become clear to him that he cannot 
“be the leader during the next elections due to internal battles.” He 
planned to stay on as prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal 
Party is chosen.

“I don’t easily back down faced with a fight, especially a very important 
one for our party and the country. But I do this job because the interests 
of Canadians and the well being of democracy” are “something that I hold 
dear,” said Trudeau, who was initially teary-eyed at the announcement 
outside his official residence.

He said Parliament, which had been due to resume Jan. 27, would be 
suspended until March 24. The timing will allow for a Liberal Party 
leadership race.

All three main opposition parties have said they plan to topple the 
Liberal Party in a no-confidence vote when Parliament resumes, so a spring 
election after the Liberals pick a new leader was almost assured.

“The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institution in the history of 
our great country and democracy. A new prime minister and leader of the 
Liberal Party will carry its values and ideals into that next election,” 
Trudeau said. “I am excited to see that process unfold in the months 
ahead.”


Trudeau came to power in 2015 after 10 years of Conservative Party rule 
and was initially hailed for returning the country to its liberal past. 
But the 53-year-old scion of one of Canada’s most famous prime ministers 
became deeply unpopular with voters in recent years over a range of 
issues, including the soaring cost of food and housing, and surging 
immigration.

Speaking in a recorded message posted on X, opposition Conservative leader 
Pierre Poilievre said Canadians “desperate to turn the page on this dark 
chapter in our history might be relieved” that Trudeau is leaving. “But 
what has really changed? Every Liberal MP in power today and every 
potential Liberal leadership contender fighting for the top job helped 
Justin Trudeau break the country over the last nine years.”

Other opposition leaders added their own criticism, including Jagmeet 
Singh, who leads the NDP party.

“It doesn’t matter who the next Liberal is. They’ve let you down. They do 
not deserve another chance,” said Singh, who propped up Trudeau’s party 
for years.

The political upheaval comes at a difficult moment for Canada 
internationally. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to 
impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods if the government does not stem 
what Trump calls a flow of migrants and drugs in the U.S. — even though 
far fewer of them cross into the U.S. from Canada than from Mexico, which 
Trump has also threatened.

Canada is a major exporter of oil and natural gas to the U.S., which also 
relies on its northern neighbor for steel, aluminum and automobiles.

After Trudeau’s announcement, Trump, who for weeks has referred to Canada 
as the 51st state, did so again and incorrectly claimed on social media 
that the prime minister resigned because Canada relies on subsidies from 
the U.S. to stay afloat.

Trudeau kept publicly mum in recent weeks, despite intensifying pressure 
for him to step down.

“His long silence following this political drama speaks volumes about the 
weakness of his current position,” said Daniel Béland, a political science 
professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Canada’s former finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, announced her 
resignation from Trudeau’s Cabinet on Dec. 16, criticizing some of 
Trudeau’s economic priorities in the face of Trump’s threats. The move, 
which came shortly after the housing minister quit, stunned the country 
and raised questions about how much longer the increasingly unpopular 
Trudeau could stay in his job.

Freeland and Trudeau had disagreed about two recently announced policies: 
a temporary sales tax holiday on goods ranging from children’s clothes to 
beer, and plans to send every citizen a check for $250 Canadian ($174). 
Freeland, who was also deputy prime minister, said Canada could not afford 
“costly political gimmicks” in the face of the tariffs threat.

“Our country is facing a grave challenge,” Freeland wrote in her 
resignation letter. “That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we 
have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war.”

Trudeau had been planning to run for a fourth term despite his party’s 
displeasure. Prime ministers in Canada can stay in office as long as their 
government or party has the confidence of a majority in the House of 
Commons, but no Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won 
four straight terms.

Trudeau’s party recently suffered upsets in special elections in two 
districts in Toronto and Montreal that it has held for years. And based on 
the latest polls, his chances for success looked slim. In the latest poll 
by Nanos, the Liberals trail the Conservatives 47% to 21%.

Over his long tenure, Trudeau embraced an array of causes favored by his 
liberal base. He spoke in favor of immigration at a time other countries 
were trying to tighten their borders. He championed diversity and gender 
equality, appointing a Cabinet that was equal parts men and women. He 
legalized cannabis.

His efforts to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental 
protection were criticized by both the right and left. He levied a tax on 
carbon emissions and rescued a stalled pipeline expansion project to get 
more of Alberta’s oil to international markets.

Fewer people died from COVID-19 in Canada than elsewhere, and his 
government provided massive financial support. But animosity grew among 
those opposed to vaccine mandates. Flags with Trudeau’s name and 
expletives became a common sight in rural parts.

A combination of scandal and unpopular policies damaged his prospects over 
time.

Trudeau’s father swept to power in 1968 and led Canada for almost 16 
years, becoming a storied name in the country’s history, most notably by 
opening its doors wide to immigrants. Pierre Trudeau was often compared to 
John F. Kennedy and remains one of the few Canadian politicians who are 
recognized in America.

Tall and trim, with movie-star looks, Justin Trudeau channeled the star 
power — if not quite the political heft — of his father.

He became the second-youngest prime minister in Canada’s history, and 
rivals said his age was a liability when he first sought office. But he 
won a sweeping mandate in a come-from-behind victory in 2015.

Trudeau is a former teacher, nightclub bouncer and snowboard instructor 
who has three children with his now estranged wife, a former model and TV 
host.

https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-canada-politics-future-resignation-
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