Alberta Premier Danielle Smith delivered a scathing rebuke of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans to resign, accusing the Liberal government of prioritizing party politics over the interests of Canadians.
In a post to X, Smith criticized the Liberals for the prime minister’s decision to prorogue Parliament, delaying critical discussions and leaving Canada without clear leadership during a challenging period.
“The Liberal party has no such mandate from Canadians, and they are putting their selfish political interests ahead of the Canadian people by paralyzing Parliament and suspending democracy for months while they fight a divisive internal leadership contest,” said Smith.
“It is one of the most irresponsible and selfish acts of a government in Canadian history.”
She called on every federal party and MP to force an election at the earliest opportunity.
Danielle Smith says she hopes for stability under an interim Liberal leader and emphasizes her desire for the next prime minister to support Alberta's priorities. pic.twitter.com/9wQl8XxZdI
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) January 6, 2025
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that despite the Liberals’ upcoming leadership election, the pending tariff threats against Canada from President-elect Donald Trump must take priority.
Ford chairs the Council of the Federation, informally known as Canada’s Premiers, and held a press conference addressing the tariff threat and Trudeau’s resignation.
He did not rule out holding a provincial election amid the federal chaos.
“We do want an in-person meeting with the Prime Minister. As long as he’s prime minister, his main focus is not on the Liberal Party. It’s not on anything else. It should be the next 14 days — making sure we avoid these tariffs,” said Ford, speaking on behalf of all premiers. “And if we can’t avoid these tariffs, how are the federal government going to retaliate? We have a list of how the province of Ontario can retaliate. We’re ready to make a move.”
The Governor General granted Trudeau his request to prorogue Parliament until Mar. 24.
“We need the Prime Minister to continue doing his job,” said Ford. “Prorogation doesn’t mean vacation. It means continuing moving forward as the prime minister as long as he holds that title.”
Ford said that because the Liberal party has a leader with one foot out the door, it’s time for the premiers to step up as leaders for Canada’s trading and economic systems.
As for Quebec Premier François Legault, he thanked Trudeau for his service and said he would continue to work with him as he remains party leader during the Liberals’ leadership election.
“We have significant challenges ahead of us, particularly with the arrival of Donald Trump on January 20. I will continue to work with Mr. Trudeau, his successor, and the current government to avoid these tariffs,” said Legault.
British Columbia Premier David Eby echoed Legault’s statement that they didn’t always agree with Trudeau but thanked him for his service.
“Today, we must come together to protect Canadian workers and businesses against U.S. tariff threats,” said Eby.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt joined the list of premiers thanking Trudeau while warning of the tariff threats.
“Today, we face new challenges and the serious threat of tariffs. We must stand together as a country and remain focused on defending our workers and economy in the face of these threats,” said Holt.
While not mentioning tariffs, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey joined the others in thanking Trudeau, wishing him well in his next chapter.
Premier of Prince Edward Island Dennis King took a similar approach, thanking Trudeau for his service while speaking no ill of Trudeau.
Smith said Canadians deserve a federal government and prime minister with a clear public mandate to negotiate with Trump.
Bloc Québecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said that he hoped Trump would stall the pending tariff threats out of respect for the statehood of Canada amid its turmoil because no legitimate negotiator is at the table.
The remaining premiers have not commented on Trudeau’s resignation. Their responses will be added after they become publicly available.
