Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will soon step down after nearly a decade in office, bowing to growing political and public pressure to make way for a new leader.
Monday’s announcement is not surprising, but it comes at an important crossroads for Canada both domestically and internationally.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about what happens next.
In a major political development, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he will step down as both prime minister and Liberal Party leader once a replacement is named, and the federal election is likely to be postponed until the spring. Andrew Chan details the circumstances that led to this announcement and the implications of proroguing Congress amid heightened tensions with the United States and President-elect Donald Trump. Images collected from Reuters, Getty Images, and The Canadian Press.
Why is Prime Minister Trudeau resigning?
Prime Minister Trudeau has been under pressure in recent months from within and outside his party. There were growing calls among Liberal MPs to step aside and appoint someone else to take on the Conservatives, who have a commanding lead in opinion polls, in the next election.
Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from the cabinet on Dec. 16 proved to be an overly sharp rebuke to Trudeau’s leadership, even though he had repeatedly said he intended to stay on as party leader. Trudeau said Monday that he thought about his next steps over the holidays and told his children about his decision over dinner Sunday night.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election. It has become clear to me that if I have to fight a domestic battle, I will not be the best option in that election.” he said.
Will Prime Minister Trudeau resign immediately?
No, Prime Minister Trudeau is still the Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party. He said he would step down once replacements have been selected for both roles. Meanwhile, Parliament will be adjourned or adjourned until March 24th.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his Liberal government remains “dedicated” to protecting Canada’s interests and “fighting for our economy” even as the party faces a leadership election following his resignation.
How would Canada react if the U.S. imposed tariffs?
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico on his first day in office, exactly two weeks from Monday, unless Canada and Mexico take further action on border security. .
As mentioned above, Prime Minister Trudeau is still the prime minister. Cabinet members, ambassadors, prime ministers and other diplomats also remain in place, so all leaders who need to deal with President Trump still have full privileges.
The key difference is that Congress is currently suspended, so the federal government cannot pass any legislation. Ottawa will have to respond to new tariffs differently. For example, counter-tariffs do not require parliamentary approval to take effect, so counter-tariffs can be enacted.
The same thing happened when President Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum products during his first presidency. At the time, the Trudeau government responded with an order imposing counter-tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum..
On Monday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s biggest focus before he leaves office is developing a plan to avert President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. .
After Trudeau’s announcement on Monday, Immigration Minister Mark Miller said the current administration is still preparing for a second Trump administration.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s “first order of business” after his announcement will be to “jump into a meeting of a very professional Canada-U.S. ministerial committee to discuss the steps we plan to take in case we need to respond to the Trump administration.” ,” Miller told CBC. power and politics.
Is there an election day?
No, with Parliament now out of session, opposition parties that originally planned to introduce a no-confidence motion this month to topple Prime Minister Trudeau’s minority government will have to wait months to do so. If all opposition parties vote for the motion at once, the Liberal Party will be defeated and a new election will be held.
In any case, it is unlikely that an election will be held before spring.
Parliament is scheduled to go into summer recess by June 20 at the latest, but if the Liberals are still in power by then, the election will be held as planned at the end of October.
If Parliament is suspended, what happens to laws that have not yet been passed?
All government bills that did not receive royal assent before Parliament adjourned on Monday no longer exist.
To revive these bills, they would need to be reintroduced in a new Congress.
Opposition parties can also choose to have them return, but there is no guarantee that they will do so if they want to overthrow the current government. This means some bills, such as proposed changes to capital gains tax, may be scrapped.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that in addition to announcing his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and as prime minister once a new leader is elected, he has asked the governor general to prorogue parliament until March 24. . Here’s everything you need to know about what this means and what happens. Next.
When will the Liberal Party choose a new leader?
No date has been set. Prime Minister Trudeau said Monday that he has asked the party to begin the process of selecting a new leader.
Liberal Party Leader Sachit Mehra said he would convene the party’s national board this week to begin the process, but gave no further details.
Can the new leadership help the Liberals win the next election?
Opinion polls show the Liberals will lose the next election, but the magnitude of the defeat could be lessened if Prime Minister Trudeau is no longer the leader.
“I am confident that today’s decision will put us in a better position as a party and as candidates in the next election,” said Anthony Housefather, Liberal MP for Mount Royal, Quebec. power and politics.
“We’re happy to be able to offer Canadians a different vision, a different face and some kind of change.”
Who is the candidate to replace Prime Minister Trudeau?
Top liberals, from heavy hitters to underdogs, will be nominated for this job. Click here for more information.
Could Prime Minister Trudeau be forced to step down sooner?
Governor-General Mary Simon, the personal representative of King Charles, has ultimate constitutional authority in Canada. In theory, she could fire Prime Minister Trudeau, but that possibility is virtually impossible.
“The governor-general is not going to remove a prime minister who still maintains the confidence of the House of Commons,” said Philippe Lagasse, a constitutional law expert and professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.
