Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to resign within days public outrage in his country about his liberal politics.
Trudeau could announce as soon as Monday that he will step down as leader of the Liberal Party, sources familiar with the prime minister’s plans said. told The Globe and Mail.
While it was uncertain when Trudeau will make his announcement, sources stressed it would be before a key national caucus meeting on Wednesday.
One person with knowledge of Trudeau’s plans told The Globe and Mail that he realizes he must make an announcement before he meets with the Liberal caucus to avoid the appearance that he has been forced out by the party.
The prime minister came to the conclusion that the party is no longer behind him and he knows there is no way for him to stay on, sources said.
It remains unclear what the Liberal Party’s national executives plan to do to replace Trudeau as prime minister, and whether he will remain in his position until a new leader is chosen.
But the Liberal Party’s national board, which rules on leadership issues, plans to meet later this week.
The decision comes amid outrage following Chrystia Freeland’s surprise decision to resign as finance minister and deputy prime minister on December 16 – the same day she was due to give her economic and budget update.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation within days
The decision comes amid outrage following Chrystia Freeland’s surprise decision to resign as finance minister and deputy prime minister.
She cited concerns in her announcement about what she called Trudeau’s “spending gimmicks.”
Freeland also outlined disagreements she had with Trudeau over spending and “the best path forward for Canada” amid the high cost of living and rising inflation. according to the BBC.
The disagreements, she said, were underscored by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods if the border is not secured.
Trudeau remained largely silent on Freeland’s resignation in the aftermath when he made a public trip to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate — which only exacerbated the crisis when Trump mocked his counterpart and suggested he would turn Canada into a U.S. state to make. .
As calls for his resignation mounted, Trudeau eventually announced the country would implement a Trump-style immigration crackdown.
Canada’s newly appointed Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced Tuesday that the $1.3 billion CAD ($930 million USD) series of new measures will “secure our border against the flow of illegal drugs and irregular migration.”
The new measures include 24/7 surveillance of the border using ‘helicopters, drones and mobile surveillance towers’, and improved detection tools to track drugs slipping across the border.
The legislation is based on five pillars: slowing fentanyl trafficking, improving border patrol coordination, providing new tools for law enforcement, facilitating information sharing between departments and slowing migrant crossings, reports TNC.
Trudeau remained largely silent about Freeland’s resignation in the aftermath
He made a public trip to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate – which only exacerbated the crisis when Trump mocked his counterpart and suggested he would turn Canada into a US state.
It remains unclear what the Liberal Party’s national executives plan to do to replace Trudeau as prime minister, and whether he will remain in his position until a new leader is chosen.
Among those who could now take Trudeau’s place is 59-year-old investment banker Mark Carney, who spent many hours on the phone with Liberal MPs over the holidays – seeking their advice and support for a leadership bid for the liberal party. Global news reports.
But Trudeau has also apparently had discussions with LeBlanc about whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister, a source told The Globe and Mail.
Another suggested it would make sense for Trudeau to remain in his position until a new leader is elected so he can deal with the incoming Trump administration and the threat of tariffs.
A third source also noted that any leadership race would last at least three months as the Liberal Party continues to lose favor to the Conservatives and their leader Pierre Poillievre.