Trudeau had been the second-youngest prime minister in Canada’s history when he was elected in 2015, and he had been planning to run for a fourth term in next year’s election even as discontent in his party grew.
read more
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Photo: Reuters)
After nine years as the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau on Monday announced his decision to resign from his post, saying that the country “deserves a real choice in the next election”.
Trudeau said Monday he has asked the president of his Liberal Party to begin the process of selecting a new leader. He has faced rising discontent over his leadership, and the abrupt departure of his finance minister late last year signaled growing turmoil within his government.
Parliament will be suspended until March 24. It had been due to resume Jan. 27. The timing will allow for a Liberal Party leadership race.
Here’s what he said:
”Every morning I’ve woken up as prime minister, I’ve been inspired by the resilience, the generosity and the determination of Canadians. It is the driving force of every single day I have the privilege of serving in this office. That is why, since 2015, I’ve fought for this country, for you, to strengthen and grow the middle class, why we rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy and to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.
”My friends, as you all know, I’m a fighter. Every bone in my body has all told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country, and I will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians. And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history. That’s why this morning, I advised the Governor General th