Why Did Justin Trudeau Step Down?

Why did Justin Trudeau Step Down?

On Monday, January 6th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped down as Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party. This was a shock to some, but not a surprise to others. After serving 10 years, many think he stepped down due to President Trump’s threat to put 25% tariffs on their country's exports and Trump’s threat to buy Canada. He also had Chrystia Freeland, the country's finance manager, step down, making it hard for him to seek guidance on what to do as Trump takes office. He has openly had a dispute with Trump, and in December (after he went to Trump’s Mar-a-lago to discuss the tariffs), he bashed the U.S. for not electing Vice President Kamala Harris and instead choosing Trump. In his speech stepping down, he said he wouldn’t be the best option in the next federal election (this year) because of internal conflicts.

Although he stepped down, Trudeau will remain leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister until they elect a new leader.  They are aiming to do this before March 24th since their parliament is frozen, meaning debates and vote counting aren’t allowed to happen until then.  Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney are the two frontrunners to replace Trudeau in the liberal party. In Canada’s conservative party, Pierre Poilievre is the frontrunner to run and could replace Trudeau, as 81% of people approved of Trudeau stepping down (Political Pulse). This shows how Trudeau no longer has high approval ratings in Canada and is crippling his chance of his party's successor being elected. We will see what Freeland or Carney can do in the near future.

Although the election was originally scheduled for October 20th, the election can and will probably happen much earlier. As soon as the Liberal Party elects a new leader and the government calls for a vote, an election can begin.