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Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Trudeau has said he’s resigning. What happens next?

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Many Canadians are wondering what’s next for the country after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign as Liberal leader and prime minister once a replacement is selected to take over the party.

With the prorogation of Parliament, the future of the Liberal party and Canada’s Parliament has been thrown into limbo.

Trudeau announced on the steps of Rideau Cottage that he would be stepping down, citing tumult within the Liberal caucus.

This means that the Liberal party will be thrown into a sudden leadership race in which prominent liberal MPs, cabinet and inner party circles are expected to back different candidates to take over.

As stipulated by the Liberal Party of Canada constitution, once a leader indicates his resignation, the party’s board of directors sets a date for the leadership vote and organizes a leadership expenses committee as well as a leadership votes committee.

These committees collectively set the rules of the leadership election. For example, the leadership expenses committee sets the dollar amount that leadership contestants must raise in order to become eligible to be placed on the ballot.

As reported in the Globe and Mail, Liberal party officials say that they would prefer if a Liberal leadership race occurred over a three month period.

The Liberal party’s constitution requires leadership contestants to submit an application to run for the party’s leadership a minimum 90 days before the vote with at least 300 party members from three provinces required to sign the application.

There is also another requirement for the party to publish registration procedures so that party members can participate in the leadership vote.

This means that a Liberal leadership election is required to be at least 117 days long or almost 4 months long per the party’s constitution.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated that he had asked the Governor General to prorogue parliament until March 24 to give his party time to select a new leader.

This means that unless the Liberal party’s board of directors disregards the party’s constitution, a liberal leader will most likely not be chosen before Parliament returns.

Potential candidates for the Liberal leadership include former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former central banker Mark Carney, former British Columbia premier Christy Clark, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, and Transport Minister President Anita Anand.

A recent public opinion poll from Angus Reid found that Freeland is the candidate who would make a greater number of Canadians rethink their voting intentions compared to any other possible contender.

Prime Minister Trudeau‘s announcement of prorogation also means that opposition parties are unable to vote non-confidence in the Liberal government 

While the Conservative party has been pressing to vote down the Liberal government for years, and the Bloc Québécois leader for months, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh recently indicated his intent to join the Tories and the Bloc in voting the Liberal government down no matter who is the leader. 

While the Conservatives attempted to call a non-confidence vote as soon as January through a House of Commons committee, the opposition no longer has this option with Parliament prorogued.

Poilievre, opposition leaders rebuke Trudeau and Liberals following resignation announcement

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: CPAC / Facebook / CPAC

The Liberals were put on blast after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in what Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called an attempt “to trick voters.” 

Canada’s opposition leaders were quick to respond to Prime Minster Justin Trudeau’s resignation on Monday by offering scathing criticisms of his leadership.

While some leaders issued a statement, the Leader of the Official Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, paired his comments with a video on X.

“Nothing has changed,” wrote Poilievre in his post to X. “Every Liberal MP and leadership contender supported everything Trudeau did for nine years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another four years, just like Justin.” 

In his video, Poilievre pointed to the Liberals’ support for the carbon tax, which he said contributed to inflation. Additionally, the Conservative leader accused the Liberals of supporting overspending, endebting Canada, and unchecked immigration. He said the policies caused housing costs to double, violent crime to rise by 50%, gun crime to increase by 116%, and hate crimes to surge by 250%.

“Their only objection is that he is no longer popular enough to win an election and keep them in power. They want to protect their pensions and paycheque by sweeping their hated leader under the rug months before an election to trick you and then do it all over again,” said Poilievre.

He added that his Conservative government would cap spending, axe taxes, and bring prosperity back to Canada.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also released a statement bashing Trudeau.

“Justin Trudeau has let you down, over and over,” said Singh. “It doesn’t matter who leads the Liberals. They don’t deserve another chance.”

He also took aim at Poilievre, saying that Canadians will pay for the cuts that Conservatives will allegedly make. 

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May issued the most compassionate statement among opposition leaders. She said that Trudeau was not groomed to fill his father’s shoes and struggled with the decision to eventually become the Liberal leader. 

Despite noting the Liberal party’s “broken promises,” she thanked Trudeau for his service. May added that public service has become increasingly challenging given the verbal and public abuse some face.

But it wasn’t all kind words from May. 

“The fact that the announcement could surprise no one is to admit the obvious—over the last year, but particularly the last few weeks since December 16, the decline in his support has been painful to watch, like a slow-motion train wreck,” said May. 

Bloc Québecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet hosted a press conference reacting to the news primarily in French.

Blanchet said that Trudeau made the right decision in announcing his resignation.

However, he said that irrespective of the new leader the Liberals choose, all of the candidates are members of Trudeau’s inner circle. 

“History will determine Justin Tudeau’s personal record as Prime Minister. But Quebecers will judge the Liberal government’s record in general,” said Blanchet. “And I’m afraid that judgment will be extremely harsh.”

Blanchet said that despite Parliament being prorogued, a general election needs to be called as soon as possible. He predicted that the election will take place in Spring 2025. 

“There’s no reason why this government should stay in office any longer than the minimum necessary time to appoint a new leader,” he said.

But regardless of who becomes leader, Blanchet said he has no interest in working with them.

“The institution we are facing is the Liberal Party of Canada. It has been deeply transformed by Mr. Trudeau, and there is no possible way for this party to become something else in a few weeks. So we are facing the same people with the same values,” said Blanchet.

He added that he hopes President-elect Donald Trump will stall his pending tariff threats out of respect for the statehood of Canada because no legitimate negotiator is currently available.

Another Quebec native, Leader of the People’s Party of Canada Maxime Bernier, took his turn bashing Trudeau.

“He’s finally leaving after having completed his task of practically destroying Canada on all levels,” said Bernier. “Good riddance, but there is no reason to celebrate. It won’t be easy to put the pieces back together.”

The Daily Brief | Justin Trudeau steps down

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: CPAC

Speaking in front of Rideau Cottage Monday morning, Trudeau said he will resign as Liberal leader and prime minister once his party chooses a replacement.

Plus, Liberal MPs and leftist journalists have a meltdown over Jordan Peterson’s podcast with Pierre Poilievre.

And the City of Ottawa bans vehicles idling longer than one minute per hour for 365 days a year.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Isaac Lamoureux!

Justin Trudeau to resign as Liberal leader and prime minister once successor is chosen

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: CPAC

Justin Trudeau is stepping down.

Speaking in front of Rideau Cottage Monday morning, Trudeau said he will resign as Liberal leader and prime minister once his party chooses a replacement.

He also asked for and was granted by the Governor General a prorogation of Parliament until March 24.

“I intend to resign as party leader (and) as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nation-wide, competitive process,” Trudeau said. “Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal party to begin that process.”

Trudeau said his party’s internal tumult made him unsuitable to lead it into the election.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said.

Trudeau also cited a “paralysis” in Parliament as motivating his decision. Calls for his resignation have been mounting for weeks from within his own caucus and pledges from opposition leaders made his government unlikely to survive a non-confidence vote once the House of Commons returned later this month.

He said taking himself out of the equation will hopefully “bring the temperature down” and “decrease the level of polarization” in the House of Commons and Canadian politics.

Prorogation suspends all business of Parliament – including committees. The House of Commons public accounts committee was slated to meet this week on a Conservative motion of non-confidence in the government.

March 24 is the latest point until which the government could prorogue Parliament because the government will run out of money if a supply bill is not passed by the end of that month.

Trudeau said his biggest regret was not implementing electoral reform as he originally promised when first elected in 2015. He said he wished he would have changed the system to allow Canadians to choose a second and third choice on ballots.

“People would have been looking for things they have in common instead of trying to polarize and divide Canadians against each other,” he said.

The announcement comes just weeks after Trudeau’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, resigned from cabinet just hours before she was supposed to present the government’s fall economic statement.

In her resignation letter, Freeland took shots at the prime minister, citing “costly political gimmicks” when Canada was preparing for a potential trade war with the US.

Following her announcement, Abacus Data polling found that more than half of all Canadians wanted an election to be called immediately, with only 11% saying that Trudeau and the Liberals deserve to be re-elected.

At the beginning of the New Year, Angus Reid Institute reported that voting intentions for the Liberals had fallen to a historic low, with only 16% reporting an intention to vote for the Liberal party in the next election.

The setting of his resignation is familiar to many Canadians as the front door of Trudeau’s Rideau Cottage was the scene of many government announcements during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

His resignation comes two weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Trump announced that on day one of his administration, he would levy a 25% tariff on all products from Canada until it secured the border against illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

New Orleans terrorist travelled to Ontario last summer

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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A photo of one of the coolers containing an improvised explosive device (IED), which was placed by Shamsud-Din Jabbar near the intersection of Bourbon and Orleans Street. - source: FBI.gov

The terrorist in the New Orleans truck attack travelled to Canada last summer, according to the FBI.

It currently remains unknown if 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s trip to Canada was connected to the attack, but authorities said he flew to Ontario from Houston, Tex. on July 10 before returning to the U.S. three years later. 

“Canadian authorities will continue to work with their American counterparts, including the FBI, as they pursue their investigation,” said Minister of Public Safety David McGuinty.

Jabbar had also travelled to New Orleans twice in the months leading up to the New Year’s Day attack, first in October and again in November.

In his November trip to New Orleans, Jabbar used a pair of Meta smart glasses to record video as he rode through the French Quarter on a bicycle.

FBI special agency Lyonel Myrthil said in a press conference on Sunday that this was how “he plotted this hideous attack.” 

“Our agents are getting answers to where he went, who he went with and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here,” said Myrthil.

Jabbar also wore those same glasses during the attack, however, he did not activate them to livestream his actions, noted Myrthil. 

The FBI has since released the video Jabbar recorded in preparation for the attack, which reveals him placing two containers of explosive devices in the French Quarter around 2 a.m. not long before he carried out his attack. 

According to officials, one of the containers was transported a block away by someone uninvolved with the attack.

“All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” said FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia on Sunday. “We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders.”

The former U.S. Army soldier was said to have proclaimed his support for the Islamist militant group ISIS in online videos posted only hours before he began his spree of targeting pedestrians on Bourbon Street early last Wednesday.

Jabbar’s rampage left 14 people murdered and injured dozens more before police fatally shot him during a shootout at the scene.

Thirteen people are still in hospital following the attack.

The youngest victim was 18 and the oldest 63 with the majority of victims being in their twenties. 

New Orleans being a popular destination for tourism, those slain by Babbar’s attack came from New York, New Jersey, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Britain. 

In an unrelated story, the RCMP arrested an 18-year-old man from Newmarket, Ont. after suspecting he had plans to leave Canada and join ISIS.

Police officials say that the suspect was a minor when the RCMP investigation was initially launched, making the publicly available details of the case limited, including the suspect’s identity.

Conservative MP Luc Berthold announces cancer diagnosis

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: X

Longtime Conservative MP Luc Berthold announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but still plans on running for reelection.

The Mégantic––L’Érable MP shared the news on Facebook, announcing the diagnosis and thanking friends and family for their warm wishes. 

“Yes, in 2024, I received the famous diagnosis that scares men over 50. My prostate is sick and has cancer. In the next few weeks, I’ll have to get rid of it, to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere in my bones and organs.,” said Berthold.

“Having lost both my father and mother to throat and lung cancer, I confess that the words of the specialist have awakened old pains and bad memories in my head.”

The Quebec MP says that his doctors told him that the cancer had not spread outside of his prostate and that he will be receiving surgery to remove his cancerous prostate in short order.

Berthold says that he will continue to serve as Mégantic––L’Érable’s MP and will run for re-election after a few weeks of recovery.

“I assure you, I have no intention of resigning, and I will be a candidate for the next federal election,” said Berthold.

“However, I will need to be away for a few weeks, to recover from the surgery to get rid of my bad prostate. It can happen at any time, the sooner the better, and maybe even during the coming election campaign.”

Berthold has served his Quebec constituency for over nine years. 

In 2022, Berthold served as the deputy Conservative leader under interim leader Candice Bergen. He is currently Pierre Poilievre’s deputy House leader.

Berthold previously served as mayor of Thetford-Mines, Quebec from 2006 to 2013.

Trudeau to resign as Liberal leader

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: X

Justin Trudeau is expected to resign as Liberal leader Monday morning. The prime minister is expected to address reporters at 10:45 a.m. from Rideau Cottage, where he lives. It will be his first press conference since his former deputy, Chrystia Freeland, abruptly resigned last month triggering a cabinet shuffle and caucus revolt.

Multiple reports suggest Trudeau intends to stay on as prime minister until a new leader is named but details about succession are still unclear.

The Liberal Party of Canada sent out an email to its caucus members for an “informational” caucus meeting over Zoom to discuss “the Liberal Party of Canada Constitution and how it relates to caucus.” The meeting is set for 2 p.m. EST.

The Globe and Mail was the first to report that Trudeau was expected to step down before the national Liberal caucus was set to meet for a six-hour-long session Wednesday.

This comes as Trudeau has trailed behind the Conservatives in the polls, often by 20 points for months, despite moves to buy back voters, such as a GST / HST tax holiday and $200 handouts.

The leaders of all three major opposition parties have vowed to vote non-confidence in the Liberals in the next parliamentary sitting, reconvenes Jan. 27, regardless of who is leading the party.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh finally announced last month he would take down the government, although one of his members of Parliament, Charlie Angus, has signalled he will not vote alongside his party on this.

The Bloc Quebecois announced it was committed to pushing for an early election in October after the Liberal government failed to meet an ultimatum set by its leader Yves-Francois Blanchet.

The Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilieve, have said they are election-ready for months, calling for a “carbon tax election” to let Canadians decide who should lead them.

The election date is currently scheduled for October.

Saskatchewan appeal court slashes convicted man’s sentence in half because he’s Metis

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
-
Source: X

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has dramatically reduced the prison sentence of a 35-year-old man who identifies as Métis – from five years to 30 months – after finding that the original sentencing did not take into account his lived experience as an Indigenous person. 

Colin Umpherville was arrested at 29 years old in October 2019. Police entered a hotel room where Umpherville was present and discovered a .22 calibre handgun, 50 rounds of ammunition, a small quantity of methamphetamine, and a weigh scale in a backpack. 

At the time of his arrest, Umpherville did not possess a firearms license and was assessed as having a high risk of reoffending.

“Mr. Umpherville’s crimes are serious and called for a term of imprisonment. However, I agree with Mr. Umpherville that the judge erred in his application of the principles set out in R v Gladue … and the cases interpreting and affirming that decision,” wrote Chief Justice Robert W. Leurer. 

The Gladue principles, established by a Supreme Court ruling 25 years ago, mandate that courts consider the systemic and background factors affecting Indigenous offenders, including the legacy of colonialism and residential schools. 

The appeal judges determined that the trial judge failed to adequately weigh these factors in assessing Umpherville’s moral culpability.

Despite this, in the ruling, the court wrote that “Umpherville’s prospects of rehabilitation look very low.”

Umpherville’s personal history as detailed in the ruling includes significant trauma; his father, a residential school survivor, battled addiction and passed away when Umpherville was just nine years old. 

Umpherville says he witnessed abuse as a child, was placed in foster care, and was diagnosed with both fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and ADHD. 

His education ended in Grade 6, and although he identifies as Métis, he had little connection to his cultural heritage growing up.

The original sentence focused heavily on deterrence and denunciation, according to the appeal court, neglecting the mitigating effects of Umpherville’s Indigenous background under Gladue considerations. 

The appeal court judge said the revised sentence of 30 months aims to balance the need for deterrence with Umpherville’s potential for rehabilitation, citing the systemic discrimination faced by him as an Indigenous person.

University of Alberta ditches DEI policies in favour of intellectual freedom

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: University of Alberta

University of Alberta President Bill Flanagan announced that the post-secondary institution intends to shift away from diversity, equity and inclusion policies effective immediately. 

In an op-ed penned for the Edmonton Journal by Flanagan, he began by quoting the university’s first president Henry Marshall Tory. Upon founding the post-secondary school, Tory stated that the school’s mandate was “to create an intellectual and spiritual atmosphere in which prejudice and hatred could not live, a just institution whose work would be to assist in the unification of the diverse elements which enter our national life.” 

According to Flanagan, the move away from DEI practices represents the school’s commitment to re-aligning with the foundational values of a public university, which include curiosity, rigorous inquiry, and the search for truth. 

While he noted that “fostering dialogue and navigating differences can be uncomfortable,” such moments of discomfort are how transformative learning and understanding happen. 

The decision marks the first university in Canada to officially move away from DEI practices, instead returning to a merit-based system. 

Flanagan said that over the years DEI policies have “become polarizing, focusing more on what divides us rather than our shared humanity.”

After undergoing extensive consultations with community members, Flanagan believes it’s time “to evolve — not just in words but in actions that better reflect the kind of community we strive to be, continuing to build on President Tory’s aspirations.”

“This is why we are moving forward with a new framework and new language: access, community, and belonging,” he said. 

The university president and vice-chancellor said the shift represents “more than a change in terminology,” saying that the university will take more action on “emphasizing common ground and fostering authentic connections.”

He went on to say that the language of access, community and belonging better represents the institution’s aspirations when it comes to creating a place of equal opportunity for students who may otherwise face financial and social barriers. 

“Community underscores our belief in collective well-being and shared purpose. Belonging reflects our goal to cultivate spaces where individuals feel valued for their unique contributions,” said Flanagan. 

OP-ED: Unfit for Duty, Part III – The Roadmap to Rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces

By
David Redman
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Source: Facebook

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) stand at a precipice. After nine years of broken promises on new equipment and funding, attacks on leadership failures, misuse as a gender and DEI testbed, embarrassment at the inability to provide combat-capable personnel and equipment, and occasional exploitation as props for political shows, the CAF has reached record lows for recruitment, retention and capability. As someone who spent 27 years serving in our armed forces, the decline is impossible to accept. The organization is a broken, demoralized shell.

This Canada is beset by national security challenges, arguably crises: shockingly deep and broad foreign interference in our institutions, worsening illegal protests in our streets, growing concern among our allies and trading partners, the open contempt of our adversaries. In part I and part II of this series, I traced the decline of the CAF and the requirements of a rebuild .

If the CAF is the canary in the coal mine that signals the state of Canada’s national security, then the canary is on its back, fluttering. The political and military leadership that allowed, indeed designed and executed, the decades-long deterioration and borderline destruction of the CAF must ultimately be held accountable. The rebuild must start now, however – without them – using people who have a clear vision of the threats to our nation and national defence requirements to overcome them.

I am calling for the formation of a special task force with the mandate to create a roadmap for and initiate this rebuild.

The Task Force on Rebuilding the CAF should be non-partisan and composed of members with expertise in:

·  Current and historical geopolitics;

·  National security in areas such as intelligence, border security, immigration security, justice and law enforcement;

·  Military operations and affairs including in the domains of land, sea, air, cyber and near-space;

·  Procurement, logistics, recruitment and personnel as well as financial management.

Within six months, the Task Force would provide a written report that included, among other things:

·  A new comprehensive outline for the CAF’s purpose;

·  Establishing a team to draft, within one year, a new White Paper on National Defence, with a comprehensive assessment of Canada’s intended geopolitical position vis-à-vis Canada, North America and the world;

·  An immediate plan to retain the CAF’s current combat-capable members;

·  An immediate plan to recruit, train and retain new combat-capable personnel;

·  The definition of a new, apolitical, fast-tracked procurement process for equipment and supplies, as well as a plan to restore the CAF’s existing equipment to serviceable condition.

·  A communications plan to assure public understanding and involvement in the CAF’s rebuilding.

The Task Force would remain in place for three years to draft the White Paper, implement the plans needed for recruitment, training and retaining combat-capable personnel, replenish equipment and build a sustainable procurement process, and establish a surge capacity for both personnel and equipment during times of heightened tension or conflict. The task force would work with government on whatever legislation, regulation and policies would be needed. Public engagement would be critical, with a communications strategy to foster national pride and understanding of the CAF’s role in safeguarding Canada’s future.

Throughout its history, Canada has risen to national security challenges with resolve and determination. Canadians have shown that, when presented with clear threats and a decisive plan of action, they are willing to invest the necessary resources to defend their country. This crisis is no different.

The cliché has never been truer: Canada must decide if it wishes to be a nation or become a puppet of other nations.

The concept of a post-national state, espoused by our current prime minister, is a dangerous and deadly conceit as well as a plain lie in today’s actual geopolitics. Nations like China, Russia and Iran laugh at the notion and exert their sovereign, national influence and military power daily. Canada is shunned and ridiculed by its allies, partners and rivals. Here at home, our proud history of combat capability is fading into memory and may soon be forgotten – as are our veterans.

Despite the battering our country has endured, belief in Canada remains strong. Canadians have been clearly expressing a desire for change, including restoring the nation to its former unity, strong borders, vibrant economy and defence of our way of life. A proud and strong CAF was once a cornerstone of the nation’s enviable and happy state, and the rebuilding of the CAF can become a critical component of such a broader program of reform

The original, full-length version of this article was recently published in C2C Journal.

David Redman was an officer in the Canadian Army for 27 years, during which he was deployed on operations in Germany, Egypt, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, the United States and across Canada, before retiring in 2001 to become the head of Crisis Management-Counterterrorism in Alberta and later the head of Emergency Management Alberta.

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