In an historic announcement outside his official Rideau Cottage residence, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal party.
Just before doing so, Trudeau also asked the governor general to prorogue Parliament to ensure Liberal control until a new leader is picked. What does this mean? It means the Liberals are now in planning mode to quickly find a replacement for Trudeau in order to build back support in the party. Since Trudeau prorogued Parliament, the federal government is essentially closed until March 24. Once Parliament is back in session, the CPC will more than likely call for a vote of no confidence which would pass, and an election will be called shortly after.
“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,” said Trudeau. The House of Commons was scheduled to resume on Jan. 27, but because of this prorogation, the date was moved in order to give the Leftists some breathing room. Prorogation has effectively killed all legislative business that hasn’t passed, leaving measures promised in Trudeau’s ill-fated fall economic statement in limbo. This has caused an uproar among the opposition parties, who see this as an abuse of power and an attempt to silence their criticism. Trudeau’s decision has also drawn criticism from legal experts, who argue that it is a violation of the constitution, despite prorogation being a legal process used by former Prime Ministers in the past.