Canada’s longest serving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his decision to step down as leader of the ruling Liberals after nine years in office but will continue in his post until the party chooses a replacement.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide competitive process,” Trudeau said in Ottawa, in a gun-shot approach.
A visual recording of his address showed that as he stepped out of Rideau Cottage and approached the podium, the notes on the lectern began to blow away.
Trudeau said that he had asked the President of the Liberal Party to begin that process.
He said, “Canadians deserve 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.”
Shrugging his shoulders, he said in an emotionally charged tone, “As you all know, I am a fighter and I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one is. But I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians and what is in the best interests of Canadians and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election.”
In a candid speech, the 53 year old Prime Minister said, “If I have one regret particularly as we approach this election and there are probably many regrets that I would think of. But, I do wish that we have been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second choice and third choice on the same ballot.”
He said that this system of election would have enabled people to look for things that they have in common instead of polarizing or dividing Canadians against each another.
“But I could not change unilaterally without support of other parties our electoral system.”
Reacting to the late evening development, India’s former envoy to Canada, Ambassador Ajay Bisaria told StratNews Global that Trudeau’s resignation was entirely expected.
Bisaria who is a Distinguished Fellow at the Delhi based Observer Research Foundation, said, ” Trudeau had been skating on thin political ice for a year now but was reluctant to surrender power.”
The former High Commissioner of India to Canada further explained, “The Canadian Prime Minister’s position became untenable when his Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland resigned last month. This was followed by an open rebellion within his Liberal party which recognized well before Trudeau did that it would be near impossible to win the 2025 parliamentary elections without a change in leadership.”
It is worth noting that Trudeau assumed office in November 2015 and won re-election twice, becoming one of Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers.
His popularity however started dipping two years ago amid public anger over high prices and a housing shortage.
Canada has been witnessing a protracted political crisis and top Liberal allies have been urging him to quit.
Trudeau has been under immense pressure from Liberal legislators to quit amid polls that have projected that the party will be crushed at the next election.
Trudeau has asked Governor General Mary Simon to prorogue Parliament until March 24.
Notably, Trudeau will continue to be the Prime Minister on January 20 when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Trump has threatened to impose tariffs that would cripple Canada’s economy.
Polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October, regardless of who the leader is.
Reacting to the news, a middle-aged Toronto based Indian woman from Punjab told StratNews Global,” Honestly, I support his decision. He made a wise choice to stay a bit respected.”
