TORONTO (News Desk) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned Monday in the face of rising discontent over his leadership and after the abrupt departure of his finance minister signaled growing turmoil within his government.
Trudeau said it had become clear to him that he could “be the leader during the next elections due to internal battles.”
He expressed to stay on as prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal Party was chosen.
He said he did not 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 wellbeing of democracy is something that I hold dear,” he said 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.”
The Canadian PM came to power in 2015 after 10 years of Conservative Party rule, and had initially been 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.
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 each crosses 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 autos.
Trudeau kept publicly mum in recent weeks, despite intensifying pressure for him to step down.
