Source: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Expected to Resign Amid Political Turmoil

A source close to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said on Sunday (January 5) that it is increasingly likely that Trudeau will announce his resignation, although he has not made a final decision.

The anonymous source pointed out that Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation as leader of the Canadian Liberal Party as early as Monday (January 6), after nine years in power. Earlier, Canada’s Globe and Mail reported that Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation before the Liberal Party’s national caucus meeting on Wednesday (January 8).

Trudeau’s departure will put the Liberals in a tough spot without their permanent leader. Polls show the Liberals are far behind the opposition Conservatives in a general election that is expected by the end of October at the latest.

A growing number of Liberal MPs, concerned about a series of pessimistic poll results, have publicly urged Trudeau to resign. It is unclear whether Trudeau will continue in an interim role while the Liberals search for a new leader.

Trudeau took over as Liberal leader in 2013 when the party was struggling and had become the third-largest party in the House of Commons for the first time.

If Trudeau does resign, it could spark new calls for a quick election to form a stable government capable of meeting the executive challenges of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over the next four years.

Trudeau has discussed with Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc his willingness to serve as interim leader and prime minister, the sources said but added that would not be feasible if LeBlanc planned to run for the party leadership.

Justin Trudeau, 53, has previously successfully navigated Liberal MPs’ concerns about poor performance in the polls and the pressure of losing safe seats in two by-elections.

However, calls for Trudeau to step down have grown since December, when he sought to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet allies, over her opposition to his plans for more spending.

Freeland later resigned and wrote a letter accusing Trudeau of playing “political games” rather than focusing on the national interest as Canada grapples with a threat from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to impose 25 percent tariffs.

Trudeau led the Liberal Party to power in 2015, winning the hearts of the people with his “sunny ways” and progressive agenda of advancing women’s rights and addressing climate change.

But the day-to-day realities of governing the country have gradually worn him down, and like many Western leaders, dealing with the impact of the pandemic has taken up much of his time.

Even as Ottawa poured money into protecting consumers and businesses, resulting in a record budget deficit, that did little to ease public discontent as prices soared.

In addition, his failed immigration policy led to an influx of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, putting pressure on an already overheated housing market.