Canada: Trudeau may announce resignation this week, report says

 Monday, January 6, 2025

ISLAMABAD (UrduPoint News Today/ Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2025 ) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may announce his resignation this week as he faces growing divisions within his Liberal Party.

Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the ruling party’s internal affairs, said on Sunday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may announce his resignation on Monday.

According to the Globe’s sources, the announcement is likely to be made to the national Liberal Party caucus on Wednesday.

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The Globe, however, said it was unclear whether Trudeau would remain prime minister until a new leader is elected while the party searches for new leadership.

The Canadian Prime Minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

Trudeau's popularity has waned in recent months, with his government barely surviving a no-confidence vote and calls from critics for his resignation.

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The Liberals will name an interim leader if Trudeau resigns.

Pressure on Trudeau to resign

Trudeau took over as Liberal leader in 2013, when the party was in deep trouble and had fallen to third place in the House of Commons for the first time.

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Pressure has been mounting on Trudeau to resign since Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned over policy differences.

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If Trudeau resigns, there will be calls for a snap election to form a new stable government capable of handling the administration of President-elect Donald Trump for the next four years.

Prime Minister Trudeau has spoken with Finance Minister Dominique LeBlanc to see if he is willing to take on the responsibilities of interim leader and prime minister.

A party source told the newspaper that if LeBlanc intends to run for the leadership, it would be impractical.

What happens if Trudeau resigns?

If Trudeau resigns, the Liberals will nominate an interim leader to take over as prime minister while the party calls a special convention.

The challenge for the party is that such conventions typically take months to hold and if an election is held before that, the Liberals will have a prime minister who is not elected by the members. This has never happened in Canada.

The Liberals could try to call a short convention in the near future. But that could lead to protests from candidates who feel it would harm them.

There is also no way to immediately declare Freeland prime minister on a permanent basis. Because the party's tradition has been that the interim leader does not put forward his name as a candidate to lead the party.

Is there another way to oust Trudeau from the party?

Unlike in the UK, where party leaders are chosen by a parliamentary caucus and can be quickly removed, the Liberal leader is chosen by a special convention of members.

So there is no formal party mechanism to remove Trudeau if he wants to stay in office.

If members of his own cabinet and a large number of lawmakers demand that he step down, his position could be precarious.

What can Trudeau do to avoid it?

The ultimate constitutional power in Canada lies with the governor-general.

General Marie Simon is the personal representative of the head of state, King Charles. In theory, she has the power to remove Trudeau, but in practice, she will not.

“The governor-general will not remove a prime minister who still has the confidence of the Commons,” said Philippe Lagasse, a constitutional expert at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Trudeau could suspend parliament, which will formally end after the current session, giving him some breathing room.

That would allow him to delay a motion of no confidence, but if Trudeau remains prime minister, it would increase the resentment of Liberal lawmakers.