Justin Trudeau resigned as Canada’s Prime Minister during on Monday after weeks of tension within the Liberal Party
DAILY MAIL ONLINE | Published January 7, 2025
Justin Trudeau dramatically resigned as Canadian Prime Minister on Monday in remarks capping a spectacular fall from grace for the liberal standard-bearer just days before Donald Trump enters office.
In emotional remarks Trudeau said: ‘Last night over dinner I told my kids about the decision that I’m sharing with you today. I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister.’
With his government in turmoil, a clearly dejected Trudeau, 53, said Parliament would be suspended until March 24 while his Liberal Party chooses a new leader.
The scion of one of Canada’s most famous political families had become deeply unpopular in recent years over a range of issues including the soaring cost of food and housing, and surging immigration.
Trump has repeatedly mocked the Canadian leader by suggesting his country would be better off as the 51st U.S. state.
Trudeau’s decision came after he faced weeks of pressure from party colleagues amid a bitter rift over how to handle relations with Trump in his second term.
Trump announced on social media after his reelection a plan to introduce a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada , which led Trudeau into a frenzy to try and clean-up his relationship with the U.S. president-elect before he is sworn into office later this month.
The day after unveiling the idea, Trudeau immediately flew down to Mar-a-Lago to do damage control.
During that meeting, reports emerged detailing how Trudeau pleaded with Trump not to impose the tariffs and claimed it would kill Canada’s economy.
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SOURCE: www.dailymail.co.uk
RELATED: Canada’s Justin Trudeau cites ‘internal battles’ as he ends nine-year run
BBC NEWS | Published January 7, 2025
Under growing pressure from his own party, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he will step down and end his nine-year stretch as leader.
Trudeau said he would stay on in office until his Liberal Party can choose a new leader, and that parliament would be prorogued – or suspended – until 24 March.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said during a press conference Monday.
Trudeau’s personal unpopularity with Canadians had become an increasing drag on his party’s fortunes in advance of federal elections later this year.
“Last night, over dinner, I told my kids about the decision that I’m sharing with you today,” he told the news conference in Ottawa.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process,” he said.
The president of the Liberal Party, Sachit Mehra, said a meeting of the party’s board of directors would be held this week to begin the process of selecting a new leader.
In a statement, he added: “Liberals across the country are immensely grateful to Justin Trudeau for more than a decade of leadership to our Party and the country.”
“As Prime Minister, his vision delivered transformational progress for Canadians,” he said, citing programmes his government has implemented like the Canada Child Benefit and the establishment of dental care and pharmacare coverage for some medication.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said “nothing has changed” following Trudeau’s resignation.
“Every Liberal MP and Leadership contender supported EVERYTHING Trudeau did for 9 years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another 4 years, just like Justin,” Poilievre wrote on X.
Trudeau, 53, had faced growing calls to quit from inside his Liberal Party, which ramped up in December when deputy prime minister and long-time ally Chrystia Freeland abruptly resigned.
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SOURCE: www.bbc.com
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