Justin Trudeau Rules Out Contesting The Next Canadian Election

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he will not be running in the upcoming federal elections, scheduled for October this year. This decision comes after Trudeau stated last week that he would step down as Prime Minister as soon as his Liberal Party chooses a new leader. "In terms of my own decisions, I will not be running in the upcoming election," Trudeau said during a press conference in Ottawa.

Trudeau expressed uncertainty about his future after leaving politics, stating, "As to what I might be doing later, I honestly haven't had much time to think about that at all. I am entirely focused on doing the job that Canadians elected me to do in an extraordinarily pivotal time right now." He also met with Canada's premiers, the ambassador to the US, and some federal cabinet ministers to discuss how Canada would respond to Trump's tariff threats.

After serving as Prime Minister for over nine years, Trudeau faced pressure from the opposition and within his party to resign. This pressure intensified after the resignation of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland. Trudeau announced, "I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process".

The process to replace Trudeau has not officially begun, but some well-known Liberal faces have started announcing their intentions to run. Interested candidates must notify the party and make an initial payment by January 23, and the party's new leader will be announced on March 9. Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland are expected to be leading contenders.

Trudeau will remain Prime Minister until the Liberal leadership election concludes in March and plans to serve as a member of Parliament until the next federal elections are held. However, he will cease to be an MP in the new Parliament if he does not contest and win in the election.