Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he will resign. This follows a public feud with President-elect Donald Trump and dwindling support even within his party.
The decision comes after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation. Her departure was partly due to Trudeau’s clash with Trump over tariffs. Trudeau ends his nine-year tenure with a dismal 33% approval rating, according to a September Ipsos poll. Rising living costs and immigration worries topped citizens’ concerns.
Trudeau stated he will remain in office until a new leader is chosen.
“I intend to resign as Party leader, as Prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process,” he announced Monday. “Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process.”
He admitted internal party struggles influenced his decision. “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, that I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau said.
Calls for his resignation came from over 40 members of parliament. This pressure reportedly intensified before his decision, according to the New York Post.
Trudeau’s time as PM has been plagued by controversy. In 2019, photos of him wearing blackface surfaced, causing outrage. That same year, he was accused of interfering with a corruption case involving SNC-Lavalin.
Polls suggest the Conservative Party is poised to dominate the next election. They lead the Liberals by 21 points, per CBC News. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to replace Trudeau’s eventual successor.
Canadian voters cite major concerns like housing costs, health care, and immigration. Housing prices have soared 227% since 2003, while earnings increased by just 74%, NerdWallet found.
Immigration has further strained housing availability. Poilievre criticized Trudeau’s policies in August, saying Canada “cannot grow the population at three times the rate of the housing stock.”
Trudeau also faced backlash for strict gun control laws. He banned “assault weapons” in 2020 and added more to the list over time. His carbon tax policy angered conservatives and many Canadians.
Reflecting on his tenure, Trudeau shared one regret. “If I have one regret, particularly as we approach this election — well, probably many regrets that I will think of,” he said. “But I do wish we’d been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second choice, or a third choice on the same ballot.”