Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, was facing a mounting set of crises, from Donald Trump’s tariff threats to the resignation of key allies and disastrous opinion polls. His resignation would be seen as the PM choosing to jump before he is pushed, ahead of a general election to be held later this year that he is widely expected to lose.
The move would leave the Liberal Party without a permanent leader before the general election, where polls show it is set to badly lose to the opposition Conservative Party, led by the firebrand Pierre Poilievre. The election must be held on or before October 20, but could be brought forward.
His government was rocked by the surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland – just hours before she was due to deliver her annual fiscal update.
In a blistering letter of resignation, she criticized Trudeau’s “political gimmicks,” likely referring to a two-month sales tax holiday and 250 Canadian dollar ($175) rebates for most workers.
Freeland said Canada could “ill afford” these policies, seen as a pre-election handout to claw back some voters, and coming as the country faces the serious prospect of huge tariffs which could be levied by the incoming Trump administration.
