Canadian PM Trudeau to resign after nine years in power

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said he would step down in the coming months after nine years in power, bowing to pressure from lawmakers alarmed by his Liberal Party's miserable showing in pre-election polls.

Giving a speech outside his home at Rideau Cottage, Trudeau said he would stay on both as prime minister and Liberal leader until the party chooses a new chief within months. He also announced parliament would be prorogued, or suspended, until March 24.

"This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," Trudeau said.

That means an election is unlikely before May at the earliest, so Trudeau will remain in charge – at least initially – of dealing with the threat of crippling tariffs once U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

The next election must be held by October 20 and polls show voters angry over high prices and a shortage of affordable housing will elect the opposition Conservatives and hand the Liberals a resounding defeat, no matter who leads the party.

In recent weeks unhappy Liberal lawmakers openly called on Trudeau to quit after his finance minister resigned and accused him of "political gimmicks" to win back voters.

"I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one is," Trudeau told reporters. "But I have always been driven by my love for Canada ... and 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."

Trudeau, 53, took office in November 2015, becoming one of Canada's longest-serving prime ministers. But his popularity started dipping two years ago as prices of groceries and housing rose in the post-COVID period, and his fortunes never recovered.

An Ipsos Canada poll released on December 22 showed the Conservatives had 45 percent support among decided voters, with the Liberals and the left-leaning New Democrats on 20 percent each. Such a result on election day would mean a huge Conservative victory.

Trump reacted to Trudeau's announcement by repeating earlier comments that Canada would gain from becoming the 51st U.S. state and complaining about Canada's trade surplus with the United States.

"The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned," he said on Truth Social.

The ongoing tariff dispute between the U.S. and Canada has continued to make headlines. Trump had previously claimed that, upon taking office, he would impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian products and even suggested that Canada could be exempt by becoming the 51st state of the U.S.

During a meeting at Mar-a-Lago last November, Trump told Trudeau that Canada should become part of the United States. Then, in a December 8 interview with NBC, Trump reiterated that if the U.S. faced a lopsided trade deficit with Canada, perhaps the solution would be to make Canada a U.S. state.

Liberal infighting and possible U.S. tariffs has alarmed business groups and the premiers of the country's 10 provinces, who say Ottawa has to focus on possible tariffs from the Trump administration.

"Canada needs to demonstrate stability and strength at this critical moment, and the federal government must urgently explain to Canadians how they will avoid tariffs that could have devastating effects," said Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, the most populous province.

(With input from Reuters)