Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday he is stepping down as leader of the Liberal Party, triggering an internal succession race whose winner will become the next prime minister.
"I will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians. And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history. That is why this morning I advised the Governor General that we need a new session of Parliament. She has granted this request and the House will be prorogued until March 24," Trudeau began.
"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process," he added. "Last night I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I have to fight internal battles I cannot be the best option in that election."
The announcement came as a growing number of Liberal MPs called on Trudeau to resign as party leader. He had been resisting in his post, but the situation became unsustainable after Chrystia Freeland, his top lieutenant and finance minister, resigned in mid-December citing policy differences.
Freeland said in a letter that she resigned after being approached by Trudeau about potentially being moved to a new cabinet role. She also said they were "at odds" regarding the best way to handle incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been threatening to impose tariffs on Canadian products and teased with making Canada a new U.S. state.
Trudeau had been largely away from the public eye since Freeland's resignation. He spent the holidays at a ski resort in western Canada and hadn't spoken to press since his return to Ottawa.
The Conservative Party, in turn, is reportedly gearing up to introduce a motion of non-confident in the Liberal government as early as this month. A recent survey by Nanos Research showed the party with a large lead. The new Liberal leader will take on Conservative Pierre Poilievre in the next federal election.
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