 "Canada PM Justin Trudeau may resign today, who can replace him till Oct election")
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation as Liberal Party leader on Monday and may announce his plans to leave ahead of a key national caucus meeting scheduled for Wednesday, a report by Canada-based The Globe and Mail cited three sources as saying.
Over the past few months, 53-year-old Trudeau has been losing support within his own party and facing a caucus revolt. Also, he and his party have been facing dismal public opinion polls that show Liberal Party will likely be swept out of power by Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in a landslide victory if the elections are conducted now.
One of the sources quoted by The Globe and Mail, who has been in contact with Trudeau, said if the PM steps down, it’s not because he doesn’t think he’s the right person to lead the party but rather because he came to the conclusion that the caucus is no longer behind him.
Canada polls are due in October this year, but if Trudeau resigns, it would spur fresh calls for a quick election to put in place a government able to deal with the administration of President-elect Donald Trump for the next four years.
Will Trudeau also resign from the Canadian PM post?
The talks of change in leadership comes after almost 12 year when in 2013 Trudeau took over as Liberal Party leader, the time when the party was in deep trouble and was for the first time reduced to third place in the House of Commons.
Though the report claims that Trudeau can announce his resignation from the Liberal Party leader post, it, however, remains unclear whether he will leave immediately or stay on as prime minister until a new leader is selected.
Trudeau’s numbers are poor and Canada is scheduled to go to polls this year. As per a December 31, 2024, survey from Nanos Research, Conservatives lead by 26 points. The poll further shows Conservative support at 46.6 per cent.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhy Trudeau may resign before Liberal caucus meet?
The Globe and Mail report quoted one of the sources, who spoke recently to Trudeau, as saying that the Canadian PM realises he needs to make an announcement before he meets the Liberal caucus “so it doesn’t look like he was forced out by his own MPs.”
Trudeau is, however, believed to be staying in his position until a new leader was chosen, the report quoted a fourth source as saying.
What happens next after Trudeau resigns?
If Trudeau resigns on Monday (January 6, 2025), the Liberal Party will have two options:
1 - Appoint an interim leader on the recommendation of national caucus.
2 - Hold a shortened leadership contest which would require the Prime Minister to request that Governor-General Mary Simon prorogue Parliament.
If Trudeau resigns, who can replace him
The Globe and Mail report quoted one of the sources as saying that Trudeau has recently held a discussion with Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister.
The source, however, added that it would be unworkable if LeBlanc, as expected, plans to run for the leadership.
Meanwhile, several MPs have expressed a preference for an interim leader. Last week, Alberta Liberal George Chahal wrote a letter to his caucus colleagues with the request.
Trudeau losing support
As per the latest survey from Nanos Research, released on December 31, 2024, the Conservatives are leading by 26 points over the ruling Liberal Party. The poll indicates Conservative support at 46.6 per cent, a level that could potentially result in a supermajority in the next House of Commons if these numbers hold.
Also, in a poll released on Friday, the non-profit Angus Reid Institute (ARI) indicated that former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, if made leader, would be best situated to challenge the Conservatives.
Of the 153 Liberal Party MPs in the House of Commons, more than half have sought Trudeau’s resignation and that number could be approaching 100.
With inputs from agencies
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