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Liberals putting “hated” leader under the rug to stay in power: Poilievre
Opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, says that Justin Trudeau's decision "changes nothing" and maintains that Liberal MPs who revolted are acting out of self-interest.
Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre. / REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo
Haunted by his rapidly increasing unpopularity and growing dissension within the ruling Liberal caucus, which may have forced Justin Trudeau to admit that he was not the right choice to lead the party in the next election, Opposition parties have dismissed his decision to bow out as a gimmick.
The official opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, says that Trudeau's decision "changes nothing" and maintains that Liberal MPs who revolted are acting out of self-interest. "Their only objection is that he is no longer popular enough to win an election and keep them in power. They want to protect their pensions and paycheques by sweeping their hated leader under the rug months before an election to trick you, and then do it all over again," he wrote while renewing calls for an immediate election.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who tore in September last year the supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals that kept the minority government afloat, said New Democrats would vote to bring down the government at the earliest opportunity and suggested Canadians should not support any Liberal leader. “The problem is not just Justin Trudeau. It's every minister that's been calling the shots," he said in a statement on Monday. "It is every Liberal MP that looked down their nose at Canadians who are worried about high costs or crumbling health care. The Liberals do not deserve another chance, no matter who is the leader."
Justin Trudeau could not have played his cards better. He has not only extended his tenure as Prime Minister at least till the end of March but also blunted the concerted efforts of the Conservatives in forcing an early election.
Justin Trudeau became Liberal leader in 2013 and prime minister in the fall of 2015. He is the first prime minister in Canadian history to invoke the Emergencies Act after truckers put a siege on the capitol hill. The Liberals used the provisions of the Emergencies Act to clear the streets of the protestors.
After a holiday with his family in British Columbia, where he reflected on his plans, he told his children that he intended to leave the country's top job over dinner on Jan.5.
"This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it's become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," he said in his first media interaction of 2025.
The 53-year-old prime minister, who could have scripted history by becoming the Prime Minister for the fourth successive time, lost out badly not only in popularity among Canadians but also failed to contain dissension within the party. Talking to the media, he said he has already asked the Liberal Party president, Sachit Mehra, to begin a "robust" and "nationwide" process to find the next leader.
"The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institution in the history of our great country and democracy. A new prime minister and leader of the Liberal party will carry its values and ideals into the next election," Trudeau said maintaining that he is “excited to see the process unfold in the months ahead”.
After his election as the leader of the Official Opposition party, Pierre Poilievre unleashed a concerted campaign to oust Justin Trudeau who initially maintained that he was the right man to take on Pierre Poilievre. He was successful to the extent that he survived three no-confidence motions late last year. He would go down in the history books that he did not lose out on the confidence vote but decided to quit the top post on his own.
"I am a fighter, and I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one," Trudeau said, holding, "It has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard into the next election."
He would have continued fighting the opposition tirade seeking his removal till Chrystia Freeland stunned him with her resignation letter that put his political future into a tailspin. After a prolonged silence, he addressed Freeland's bombshell departure for the first time publicly when he interacted with the Media on the first Monday of the New Year.
Describing Chrystia Freeland as an incredible political partner, he told reporters he had hoped she would have stayed on as deputy prime minister and take on "one of the most important files" the country is facing. "But she chose otherwise," he said. "In regards to what actually happened, I am not someone who is in the habit of sharing private conversations."
Freeland thanked Trudeau for his years of service. In a social media message, she wrote "I wish him and his family the very best."
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