After 9 years in power, Canada’s Justin Trudeau announced that he would resign as the leader of the Liberal Party and the role of Prime Minister. “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. Trudeau’s popularity dropped significantly from 63 percent to 28 percent, following his response to Canada’s economic issues including the tariff threats from President-Elect Donald Trump. Talks of Trudeau’s resignation spiked after his Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland left her position after he told her that he no longer wanted her overseeing economics. Trudeau will remain in charge of the party until a new politician is selected. In addition to his resignation announcement, Trudeau told the public that the Governor General accepted his request to prorogue parliament, meaning that all proceedings will be suspended until March 24. The last time Trudeau prorogued parliament was in 2020 when his government faced an ethics scandal over how they handled a contract with a charity. There is no clear successor to lead Canada, however, some speculate Transport Minister Anita Anand, former central banker Mark Carney and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland are the top choices for the position.
As a youth, Trudeau watched his father Pierre Elliot Trudeau handle Canada’s politics and once told reporters that he did not wish to take on the same responsibilities. In 2008, he won the election in the Quebec riding of Papineau and joined the House of Commons. In 2012, he launched his campaign for leader of the Liberal Party and won with nearly 80 percent of the vote. In October 2015, he triumphed in the federal election with 184 out of 338 seats, defeating former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. His first act as Prime Minister was appointing a gender-balanced cabinet, which earned him the attention of international media for his strides in advancing feminist policies. In 2019, he launched his second campaign for leader of Canada. During this time, pictures of Trudeau wearing brownface at an Arabian Nights-themed party started circulating the media. He apologized for the incident, however, it tarnished his reputation. Despite this, the liberals won the election with a minority government, which required them to collaborate with other parties to pass bills and motions. In 2020, Trudeau led the country through the COVID-19 Pandemic by closing borders, and rolling out the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, bringing vaccines into the country, and more. After a political scandal over the mishandling of money for a charity, Trudeau called an early election in hopes of securing a majority government, however, that was not the case. Despite winning the vote, the liberals still needed help from other parties to pass bills. In 2023, Canadians started struggling with inflation and the rising prices of necessities. That same year, the liberals lost an alliance with the New Democratic Party which previously helped the liberals stay in power. Trudeau’s career was filled with successes and defeats as he carried the country through three elections and a pandemic, however, people were questioning whether it was his time to move on.
The process to find a new liberal leader typically takes 4-5 months however a politician is expected to take the position before March 24. Nevertheless, the opposition Conservative Party can still call a non-confidence vote. The Liberals need the support of the majority of the 338 members of Parliament, however, they are 17 seats short of that number. The three opposition parties said they plan to vote against the Liberals, resulting in an election earlier than the one scheduled for October 2025. If an election is to be held, according to polls, Conservative Pierre Poilievre would easily win the vote with an estimated 218 seats, surpassing the 172 seats needed for a majority government. Poilievre said he plans to “axe the (carbon) tax, build the homes, fix the budget” and more. Relations with the US would likely be better under Poilievre’s rule due to similar ideologies between the Conservatives and Trump, however, for Canada’s closest ally the United States, many things are unclear about relations with the southern country. The partners were closely working on policies regarding national security and stopping fentanyl from crossing the border into the United States. If Poilievre wins the election, Canada could potentially see three Prime Ministers in one year.
2025 is expected to be a difficult year for the Canadian government and may result in changes that will affect the lives of citizens. Although Trudeau was successful as Prime Minister, towards the end of his term he lost the faith of many people, resulting in his resignation. Regardless, his legacy as the head of government will be honored and remembered by future generations.
Written by Suriya Rampersad
