Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation after facing increasing loss of support within his party and in the country. The Liberal Party must now find a new leader while dealing with US President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods.
Trudeau plans to stay as prime minister until a new party leader is chosen, but he cannot recover from Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation last month. Trudeau became unpopular with voters over issues like soaring food and housing costs, and surging immigration.
A new Canadian leader is unlikely to be named before Trump’s inauguration on January 20. The political upheaval comes at a difficult moment for Canada, with Trump threatening tariffs on Canadian goods and calling the country the 51st state.
Trump also remains preoccupied with the US trade deficit with Canada, incorrectly calling it a subsidy. If Trump applies tariffs, a trade war looms. Canada has vowed to retaliate.
The Liberals need to elect a new leader before Parliament resumes March 24, but recent polls suggest their chances of winning the next election look slim. The opposition Conservative Party is leading in the polls, with Pierre Poilievre seen as a strong candidate to form the next government.
Possible candidates for the Liberal leadership include Mark Carney, former head of the Bank of Canada, and Chrystia Freeland, who recently resigned from her position. Another contender is Dominic LeBlanc, a close friend of Trudeau’s.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-canada-resignation-politics-election-84ff95a506d0c58226f0653447d8809b