Local politicos agree it was time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside.
Trudeau, prime minister since 2015, announced on Jan. 6 he would resign once a new Liberal leader is chosen.
To guarantee there is time for his replacement to be selected, he prorogued Parliament until March 24.
That means we won’t see an election until late spring, at the earliest.
Ike Saiyed, vice-president of the Chatham-Kent–Leamington Liberal Riding Association, said it was a wise move for Trudeau to step aside. A growing number of Liberal MPs had publicly stated he should let someone else lead.
“We’re embracing change. The party has decided,” Saiyed said in an interview with The Voice. “If your popularity decreases, it’s time to back off and give new leadership a chance.”
Saiyed said the announcement was not surprising, as Trudeau’s popularity waned.
However, there are people who disagree with how Trudeau handled his exit. Lianne Rood, MP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, is one of them.
“Conservatives have been calling for Justin Trudeau to resign and give Canadians a carbon-tax election,” she said in a prepared statement.
Rood added the proroguing of Parliament to wait until the Liberals select a new leader is scandalous.
“I have stood in parliament and named over 68 Liberal scandals involving Trudeau and the Liberal party since 2015; this makes one more,” she said in the release. “Canadians deserve better. They deserve an election now, not having to wait and suffer from further NDP-Liberal incompetence over the coming months.”
Despite repeated attempts to speak directly to Rood, her office staff told The Voice she was unavailable.
Dave Epp, MP for Chatham-Kent–Leamington was also listed by his staff as unavailable to comment.
Proroguing Parliament is nothing new. It has been done repeatedly over the years by Liberal and Conservative prime ministers.
Trudeau himself prorogued Parliament in 2020 during the pandemic and amidst the WE Charity scandal.
Stephen Harper, Conservative prime minister, also prorogued Parliament in 2008 to fend off a non-confidence vote.
Add Liberal Jean Chretien and Conservative Brian Mulroney to the list of past prime ministers to play the prorogue card.
Saiyed defended Trudeau’s time as prime minister, saying he had “respect and gratitude” for Trudeau, who led the party and the country for nearly a decade.
“He was very strong and brought the country forward,” he said of Trudeau. “We appreciate his leadership role, but it’s time for a new leader.”
There is no announced candidate as of yet for the Liberals in Chatham-Kent–Leamington, but Saiyed said that will soon change.