With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his intention to resign once the Liberal Party has chosen a new leader, other party leaders, premiers, MPs, and Trudeau’s potential successors reacted to the news.
The Conservatives, who are surging in the polls and want an immediate election, repeated their point that all Liberal MPs are responsible for the Liberal government’s track record.
“Canadians desperate to turn the page on this dark chapter in our history might be relieved today that Justin Trudeau is finally leaving. But what has really changed?” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said in a video posted to social media shortly after Trudeau’s press conference.
Poilievre said Liberal MPs had only stopped supporting Trudeau because he was “no longer popular enough to win an election and keep them in power,” and they would now be “fighting each other for power” while Canada faces several crises.
Numerous Liberal MPs have been calling for Trudeau to step down in recent weeks as the party struggled with ongoing poor polling numbers and several byelection losses.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 21, 2023. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby
Trudeau announced on Jan. 6 that he had asked Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to prorogue Parliament until March 24, which she accepted. Parliament is suspended, which prevents opposition parties from voting non-confidence in the government and delays an election for the time being.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement that Trudeau had repeatedly failed Canadians when it came to grocery prices, housing, and health care.
“It doesn’t matter who leads the Liberals. They don’t deserve another chance,” he said, while also accusing Conservatives of intending to cut government programs that support Canadians.
During a press conference on Jan.6, Singh told reporters he would still vote non-confidence in the Liberal government when Parliament resumes.
“New Democrats will be voting against this government for an election where Canadians will have a choice,” he said.
Bloc Québécois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet suggested his party would still vote non-confidence in the Liberal government, telling reporters during a press conference on Jan. 6 that the Liberal Party had been “transformed” by Trudeau’s leadership, and therefore there was “no possible way for this party to become something else in a few weeks.”
“We are facing the same people, with the same values, the same ideology. We have to go [into] elections,” he said.
Premiers, Potential Leadership Successors
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump threatening 25 percent tariffs, the country needs a government with a “clear mandate.” She said on social media that the Liberal Party “has no such mandate from Canadians” and accused the Liberals of “putting their selfish political interests ahead of the Canadian people” by proroguing Parliament for a leadership contest.
“It is one of the most irresponsible and selfish acts of a government in Canadian history. We call on all federal parties and MPs to force an election at the first available opportunity,” Smith said on social media.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivers remarks at Lakeshore Collegiate Institute in Toronto, on Aug. 31, 2023. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby
Ontario Premier Doug Ford did not mention Trudeau’s resignation directly, but said in a social media post on Jan. 6 that with Trump continuing to make tariff threats against Canada, the federal government needed to do “everything humanly possible to avoid these tariffs,” saying Canada needed to urgently improve border security and offer a “credible plan to invest more in Canada’s military” to meet NATO defence spending commitments.
B.C. Premier David Eby said while he didn’t always agree with Trudeau, he thanks him for his service.
“We worked on many important issues including partnering to lower the cost of childcare for families,” he wrote on social media. “Today, we must come together to protect Canadian workers and businesses against US tariff threats.”
Several Liberal cabinet ministers sent out messages thanking Trudeau for his service, with Health Minister Mark Holland saying the prime minister, “demonstrated what is possible through hope and hard work.”
Then-Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney speaks at a news conference at the Bank of England in London on Feb. 7, 2019. Hannah McKay/Pool/Reuters
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland thanked Trudeau on social media for his “years of service to Canada and Canadians,” adding that she wished “him and his family the very best.” In December, Freeland had a falling-out with Trudeau when she publicly resigned from cabinet hours before she was set to deliver the Fall Economic Statement. Her resignation came after learning Trudeau wanted to move her from her position as finance minister to another cabinet post.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney, who is also seen as a candidate to replace Trudeau as Liberal leader, thanked Trudeau for his leadership, contributions to Canada, and “the sacrifices you and your family have made for public service.”
Former B.C. Premier Christy Clark, who may also run as leader of the party, thanked Trudeau for his service and wished him and his family well. “As a lifelong Liberal, I look forward to joining tens of thousands of Canadians to choose our next Leader. This is the biggest opportunity in over a decade that we’ve had to grow our Party and welcome new Liberals,” she said.
