Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a speech about his political future Monday morning outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa.
This is the message he delivered to Canadians:
“Every morning I woke up as Prime Minister and was inspired by the resilience, generosity and determination of Canadians. It is the driving force of every day that I have the privilege of serving in this role. That is why, since 2015, I have fought for this country, for you, to strengthen and grow the middle class, why we came together to support each other during the pandemic, to promote reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand firm with Ukraine and our democracy and fight against climate change and prepare our economy for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.
“My friends, as you all know, I am a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country and will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians and the fact is that, despite the best efforts to fix it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what was the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history.
“That is why this morning I informed the Governor General that we need a new session of Parliament. She accepted this request and the House will now be prorogued until March 24. During the holidays, I also had the opportunity to reflect and have had long conversations with my family about our future. Throughout my career, any success I have personally achieved is due to their support and encouragement. So last night at dinner, I told my children about the decision they made.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, competitive, national process. “Last night I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I have to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best choice in those elections.
“The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institution in the history of our great country and our democracy. A new Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party will bring its values and ideals to the next election. I am excited to see how the process unfolds . in the coming months. We were elected for the third time in 2021 to strengthen the economy after the pandemic and advance Canada’s interests in a complicated world. That is exactly the work that I and we will continue to do for Canadians.
