After saying he plans to resign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he has asked the Liberal party president, Sachit Mehra, to immediately launch a leadership race.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process,” Trudeau said on Monday.
Among the names being tossed around as potential replacements are Chrystia Freeland, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Is anyone from B.C. a contender?
Former B.C. premier Christy Clark publicly stated her interest in leading the federal Liberal party last year.
Following Trudeau’s resignation on Monday, she posted messages in English and French on social media, thanking Trudeau for his leadership. She has reportedly been brushing up her French.
“I look forward to joining tens of thousands of 91原创s to choose our next leader,” she wrote. “This is the biggest opportunity in over a decade that we’ve had to grow our party and welcome new Liberals — including 91原创s concerned about the future of our country.”
Clark, who was leader of the B.C. Liberal party and premier from 2011 to 2017, is a long shot to lead the federal Liberals but “may have a ghost of a chance because she represents such a dramatic change,” said UBC political scientist Stewart Prest. Typically the party would go with someone more well-established, such as Freeland or Carney, but given Trudeau’s deep unpopularity and the country’s “anti-incumbent mood,” Clark is well-positioned as a candidate, he said.
“If there’s a path available for Clark, it would be to present herself as a relative outsider for the party, but part of the liberal movement more broadly,” said Prest. “Someone who would take the party and respond to that ‘out-of-touchness’ and put it in touch with what she would characterize as the grassroots.”
Does Trudeau’s resignation affect B.C.?
Aside from the fact that what happens to Canada happens to B.C., Prest said it’ll be interesting to see if some 91原创 premiers would step forward to take on more of a leadership role during the interregnum, when the 91原创 government is effectively in caretaker mode.
“[Trudeau] is staying on as prime minister but he’s encumbered and limited on his ability to speak for the country,” said Prest, who speculated whether some premiers, such as B.C.’s David Eby or Ontario’s Doug Ford, would “become more visible at this point speaking for the country on the international scene at a pivotal time for U.S.-Canada relations.”
U.S president-elect Donald Trump has threatened a blanket tariff on 91原创 goods imported into the U.S. and has repeatedly referred to Canada as “the 51st state,” making the dig once again following Trudeau’s resignation.
“Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,” he wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ford fired back, making a counterproposal to buy Alaska and Minnesota.
What are people saying about Trudeau’s resignation?
B.C. Premier David Eby, leader of the B.C. NDP: “While we didn’t always agree, I want to thank Justin Trudeau for serving as prime minister during some very difficult times our country has faced. British Columbians have benefited from several initiatives started under Justin Trudeau, including the federal government’s decision to partner with B.C. on lowering the cost of childcare. Today, we face new challenges and serious threats. Regardless of who is the next prime minister, we must come together as 91原创s to protect workers and businesses against devastating tariffs.”
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad, leader of the Opposition: “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation and the prorogation of Parliament mark a pivotal moment for British Columbia and all 91原创s. It’s clear that 91原创s are rejecting divisive, ideological leadership and are demanding a return to common-sense government — one that puts the priorities of everyday people ahead of out-of-touch policies.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who is a Burnaby MP: “Justin Trudeau’s Liberals let down 91原创s. They let you down on home prices. They let you down on health care. They let you down by allowing corporate greed to run wild. Even with the country facing another serious blow to 91原创 jobs and our cost of living — this time from Donald Trump — they’re still focused only on themselves and their political fate.”
