Justin Trudeau resignation live: Canada’s PM to step down once successor chosen
- Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau
- He’ll stay on until the Liberals chooses a new leader
- Trudeau has been in office since November 2015
- Parliament will be suspended until March 24
- Leadership shakeup happens months before the federal election
That means an election is unlikely to be held before May and Trudeau will still be prime minister when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump – who has threatened tariffs that would cripple Canada’s economy – takes office on Jan. 20.
“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.
Trudeau, 53, took office in November 2015 and won reelection twice, becoming one of Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers.
But his popularity started dipping two years ago amid public anger over high prices and a housing shortage, and his fortunes never recovered.
Polls show the Liberals will badly to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October, regardless of who the leader is.
AP