NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign amid political turmoil on Parliament Hill.
On Monday afternoon, Singh said the Liberal party is “fighting for themselves rather than for Canadians…for that reason today, I am calling on Justin Trudeau to resign.”
Today, I am calling on Justin Trudeau to resign.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) December 16, 2024
Liberals are fighting themselves – when Canadians need a Prime Minister who will fight for them. pic.twitter.com/1zebsMovqh
Earlier on Monday, Chrystia Freeland announced that she is resigning as finance minister over a growing misalignment on what’s best for the country, citing President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25-per cent tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States as a reason.
Dominic LeBlanc, was sworn in as Freeland’s replacement on Monday afternoon.
READ MORE: Chrystia Freeland resigns as Canada’s Finance Minister
According to her letter of resignation, which the outgoing minister shared on X on Monday, Trudeau asked her to step down on Friday and offered her an alternative role within the party.
Her resignation came hours before she was set to deliver the government’s Economic Statement.
Following Freeland’s shock exit, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poillievre said Trudeau is clinging onto power.
“Mr. Trudeau is being held in office by one man…why is Jagmeet Singh making the entire country wait for him to get his pension?,” he told reporters.
Pierre Poilievre blasts the NDP Leader after a fifth of Liberal MPs called on the PM to resign following resignations of Ministers Freeland & Fraser: “Mr. Trudeau is being held in office by one man…why is Jagmeet Singh making the entire country wait for him to get his pension?” pic.twitter.com/5XvU7WGoo3
— Rowan (@canmericanized) December 16, 2024
At a press conference at the Hilton Hotel near Pearson Airport, Doug Ford, who met today with other provincial and territorial leaders to discuss Trump’s tariff threat, told reporters, “It’s chaos right now up in Ottawa.”
Meanwhile, Treasury Board President Anita Anand said that she would provide a comment once she had processed events.
“Chrystia Freeland is a good friend, someone I work with very very closely…this news has hit me really hard, and I’ll reserve further comment until I have time to process,” she told reporters in Ottawa.
"This news has hit me really hard and I'll reserve further comment until I have time to process it," Treasury Board President Anita Anand tells reporters in Ottawa in reaction to Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland's resignation from cabinet.
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) December 16, 2024
#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/NgCX6Achp7
Former Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer and MP for Regina—Qu’Appelle wrote on X on Monday that “chaos reigns” in Parliament and that Trudeau has “lost control but clings to power,” adding that the prime minister is going to “blame” Freeland for the state of the Canadian economy and replace her with former Bank of Canada Governer Mark Carney.
University of Toronto Political Science Professor Nelson Wiseman told Now Toronto that Freeland’s departure may indicate potential for further front bench departures, as well as the futile nature of the Liberal Party’s internal dynamic, and the looming possibility of a cabinet reshuffle.
“It’s not an issue of confidence in the cabinet. It’s an issue of confidence from the caucus,” he said.
In fact, shortly after Freeland stepped down, Housing Minister Sean Fraser announced that he would not seek re-election.
In October, a group of Liberals revolted against the prime minister in an attempt to remove him from office, they failed to do so, but Wiseman says that a changeover in cabinet ministers may reawaken the revolt from back benchers who are not selected.
“He’s [Trudeau] got a number of cabinet vacancies, your pool is about 80 people. All of a sudden, 74 are disappointed. So, then the revolt can get reignited,” Wiseman said.
CTV is reporting that Trudeau is prepared to address parliament this afternoon and is considering his options.
