By Christina Lépine – Staff Writer

On Jan. 6, 2025, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in a press conference in Ottawa, ending his nine-year run in office. Trudeau intends to remain in office until the Liberal Party elects a new leader, and he confirmed that parliament would be prorogued until Mar. 24.  To prorogue parliament is to suspend all proceedings, debates, and votes, without dissolving parliament to buy time during a political crisis.  

Trudeau announced that he is stepping down as he believes the country deserves a real choice in the next election and he does not feel that he is the best option, citing his preoccupation “fight[ing] internal battles”. Trudeau alluded to the recent disagreements within the Liberal Party. In recent months, he has faced overwhelming calls to quit from inside the party, ramping up by deputy prime minister and ally, Chrystia Freeland’s resignation in December. The resignation announcement followed a disagreement with Trudeau’s inaction regarding Donald Trump’s tariff threats on Canadian goods following the President-Elect’s November victory.

In Nov. 2024, the Politics and International Studies Association and the Bishop’s Politics Department hosted a panel of experts discussing the possible outcomes and consequences of the American Presidential Elections. Experts on this panel discussed the challenge such tariffs on imported Canadian goods would pose to our economy, highlighting the importance for the federal administration to take action to tackle this threat. 

Politics and International Studies professor Jacob Robbins-Kanter shared his expert opinion on the situation to educate students on the current political context. Robbins-Kanter explained that the Canadian Liberal Party is currently working to choose a new leader before the end of the parliamentary suspension in late March. He explained that proroguing parliament is not unusual: Trudeau prorogued parliament in August 2020 to give his government time to deal with an ethics scandal regarding the handling of a contract with a charity. During this suspension, Robbins-Kanter says, the business of parliament is on pause and the House of Commons does not meet. However, the government continues to work on all ongoing issues.

The next federal election is set to take place in October. Polls currently indicate that the official opposition, Canada’s Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre, is leading the race. The Liberal Party’s choice of leader, the Canadian-American interactions regarding Trump’s threats of tariffs on imported Canadian goods, and the Conservative Party’s actions against the carbon tax will all come into play in the upcoming months leading to the federal election. 

Robbins-Kanter recommends that all Canadian voters, including university students who are first-time voters, consider using an online tool such as a vote compass on CBC to explore which party and candidates align best with their ideas and values. In preparation for the next federal election, he also recommends reading as much reliable news as possible to inform yourself of each party’s motivations, turning to news outlets rather than social media, and avoiding pressure to vote in a certain way. 

Resources

Honderick, H. (2025, January 6). What happens next for Canada? BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjdo 

Wendling, M., Yousif, N. & Sudworth, J. (2025, January 6). Canada’s Justin Trudeau cites ‘internal battles’ as he ends nine-year run. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c878ryr04p8o