Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is preparing to announce his resignation as Liberal Party Leader as soon as Monday, according to a new report in The Globe and Mail.
Following a steep downfall in public opinion polls and an unhappy caucus calling on him to quit, three sources told the Canadian newspaper that while they don’t know exactly when Trudeau would announce his resignation, it is likely to happen before a key national caucus meeting on Wednesday.
The newspaper added that it would not be identifying the sources as they “were not authorized to discuss internal party matters.”
One of the sources, who claimed to have spoken recently to Trudeau, said that the prime minister acknowledges that he has to make the announcement before he meets the Liberal caucus so that it doesn’t look like he was edged out by his own party members.
The three sources also added that they are unsure of who would replace Trudeau as the Liberal Party’s leader after his resignation, noting that it’s not clear whether or not he’ll leave immediately upon his resignation or stay on until a new leader is selected. The Liberal Party national executive group is slated to meet this week, according to The Globe and Mail.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference on the airline industry in Montreal, Quebec on July 15, 2021. / ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images
While Trudeau had been facing pressure from his party for some time now, tensions were exacerbated on Dec. 16 after his finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland surprisingly resigned, citing spending gimmicks and a lack of serious initiative in dealing with President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs as reasons.
Trudeau’s silence on the matter sparked concern amongst Liberal members of parliament who renewed their calls for him to leave. The Atlantic, Ontario, and Quebec caucuses have all claimed that the majority of their membership no longer supports Trudeau, per The Globe and Mail.
Those three regions account for 131 of the Liberal party’s seats in the House of Commons. The party holds 153 seats to begin with.
According to The Globe and Mail, Trudeau reportedly told Liberal members of parliament that he would reflect on his future but would not announce any decision over the holidays. The newspaper adds that his closest advisors have been meeting with senior Liberals over the past two weeks to determine whether or not Trudeau can remain as leader of the party and Prime Minister until he is replaced.
