Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to step down

Justin Trudeau’s 9-year spell as Prime Minister is set to come to an end after the Canadian leader announced he would resign from his position on January 6th.

Reuters reported that Trudeau told a press conference that he would stay on as both PM and Liberal Party leader until the party chooses a new chief within months.

“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,” Trudeau said.

He added that parliament would be suspended until March 24, making an election unlikely before May at the earliest.

The next election must take place by October and polling shows voter anger over high prices and a lack of affordable housing. Polls put the Conservative Party ahead of the Liberal Party, regardless of who leads the Liberals.

“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…. and it has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard into the next election,” Trudeau stated.

The 53-year old, whose father Pierre was also Prime Minister, took office in November 2015. He won the next two elections but his popularity took a dip two years ago as the price of groceries and housing grew after COVID and it never recovered.

Trudeau stated he had asked the Liberal Party to begin a contest for a new leader but didn’t say how long it would take. A new Liberal leader would immediately become PM, and would lead the party into the next election.

Reuters

Follow me