Good morning. We’re unpacking Justin Trudeau’s resignation, the leading contenders for Liberal leadership, and how this power shift could shape Canada’s future. Let’s get straight to it.
Justin Trudeau outside Rideau Cottage yesterday.Justin Tang/The Globe and Mail
Politics
The Trudeau era ends
Standing outside Rideau Cottage yesterday morning, his holiday beard gone and his nose red from the -22 C wind, Justin Trudeau said that he would step down as Prime Minister as soon as the Liberal Party selects a new leader. The announcement came after nine years in office and amid plummeting polling, the exit of a quarter of his front bench, and a series of by-election losses in once-safe ridings. For months, Trudeau had resisted mounting pressure from within his party’s ranks to resign, insisting he was the person best placed to battle Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. On Monday, however, he acknowledged “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.”
The resignation
Trudeau repeatedly described himself as “a fighter” yesterday. In his prepared speech, he said that “every bone in my body has told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians.” In the subsequent exchange with reporters, he added that “I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one.”
But the exact identity of Trudeau’s opponent shifted throughout his press conference. At times, he was referring to Poilievre, whose vision for the country is not the “ambitious, optimistic view of the future” Trudeau said Canadians need. At other moments, though, he meant the Liberal Party. “If I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in the election,” Trudeau insisted. He also told reporters that “removing the contention around my continued leadership is an opportunity to bring the temperature down and have a government that will focus on the complex issues.”
Although not quite yet: Governor-General Mary Simon has granted Trudeau’s request to prorogue Parliament until March 24. That effectively kills all committee work and all legislation that hasn’t passed into law, including a First Nations water bill, the online harms bill, and the proposed changes to the capital gains tax.
The reaction
The Conservatives, Bloc Québécois and NDP all indicated yesterday that they would vote to bring down the government once Parliament returns. “The Liberals do not deserve another chance, no matter who is the leader,” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement. Poilievre agreed: “Nothing has changed. Every Liberal MP and leadership contender supported everything Trudeau did for nine years.” Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet told reporters that “there is no viable reason for this government to stay in power any longer than the minimum necessary to designate a new leader.” He did, however, commend Trudeau for stepping aside and wished him “many years of happiness and serenity.”
That sort of yearbook sentiment was echoed by several of the Liberal contenders now vying to take Trudeau’s place. On social media, former central banker (and much-discussed would-be politician) Mark Carney thanked Trudeau for his contributions, then ended his post with: “Wishing you the best for your next chapters.” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly expressed gratitude for her boss’s leadership before “sending well wishes to him and his family.” Even former finance minister Chrystia Freeland – whose sudden resignation last month served as the final push for Trudeau’s exit – mustered a terse tweet: “I thank Justin Trudeau for his years of service to Canada and Canadians. I wish him and his family the very best.”
Meanwhile, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump took credit for the day’s events, suggesting that Trudeau resigned rather than suffer the sizable tariffs that Trump intends to impose once he’s back in the White House. He added on Truth Social that “many Canadians LOVE being the 51st State.” Polls suggest that’s emphatically not the case. Still, Trudeau’s resignation does compound Canada’s economic uncertainty ahead of a possible trade war.
- Read more reaction from Canadian politicians, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.
Trudeau and Trump in friendlier times (2017).Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
What now?
First, the Liberals need to find a new leader, and while the party’s constitution currently lays out a 90-day nomination period, there simply isn’t that kind of time. Trudeau’s decision to prorogue Parliament until March 24 sets the stage for a confidence vote shortly thereafter – either on a motion to approve the Speech from the Throne (which always follows a prorogation), or on the March 31 vote to provide federal departments with base funding.
A government defeat on either item would likely trigger a spring election campaign. That’s a pretty narrow window for a freshly minted Liberal leader to make their – and their party’s – case.
- And who might that leader be? Read more about the top eight contenders, including Carney, Freeland, former B.C. premier Christy Clark, and long-time Trudeau loyalist (and current Finance Minister) Dominic LeBlanc.
The Globe’s analysis
Andrew Coyne says that with the country under attack, Trudeau leaves it to drift – for months.
Robyn Urback argues that Trudeau resigned too late: There’s no salvaging the Liberal Party now.
Campbell Clark believes Trudeau has painted his party – and the country – into a corner.
Konrad Yakabuski says Poilievre will need a new playbook as the Liberals pull their quarterback.
Andrew Willis would like a Prime Minister who cares about business.
Shannon Proudfoot watches Trudeau stand in his front yard to say the inevitable.
Marieke Walsh speaks with The Decibel about what to expect from the weeks ahead.
The Shot
‘It’s a peaceful transfer of power. It’s a good day.’
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday.Win McNamee/Getty Images
In a pro forma session that took about 30 minutes, U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris certified her defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Read more about the proceedings here.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: Immigration experts say that a 2021 U.S. Capitol rioter – convicted for his role in a decidedly more dramatic Jan. 6 – is unlikely to be granted asylum, despite currently hiding out in Canada.
Abroad: French President Emmanuel Macron said his country was a solid ally of Donald Trump, and warned that France could lose the incoming U.S. president’s respect by appearing “weak and defeatist.”
Rolling back: Four years after launching a push for more diversity in its leadership, McDonald’s becomes the latest company to abandon its equity initiatives.
Pushing ahead: It is possible to reboot your fitness routine – and actually make it stick through 2025.