Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberals after nine years in office but will stay on in his post until the party chooses a replacement.
Trudeau, under heavy pressure from Liberal legislators to quit amid polls showing the party will be crushed at the next election, said at a news conference that parliament would be suspended until 24 March.
That means Trudeau will still be prime minister on 20 January when US President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs that would cripple Canada’s economy.
“I intend to resign as party leader as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide competitive process,” Trudeau said. “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.”
Trudeau, 53, took office in November 2015 and won reelection twice, becoming one of Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers.
But his popularity started dipping two years ago amid public anger over high prices and a housing shortage, and his fortunes never recovered.
Polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October, regardless of who the leader is.
Parliament was due to resume on 27 January and opposition parties had vowed to bring down the government as soon as they could, most likely at the end of March. But if parliament does not return until 24 March, the earliest they could present a non-confidence motion would be some time in May.
Trudeau had until recently been able to fend off Liberal legislators worried about the poor showing in polls and the loss of safe seats in two special elections last year.
But calls for him to step aside have soared since last month, when he tried to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet allies, after she pushed back against his proposals for more spending.
Freeland quit instead and penned a letter accusing Trudeau of “political gimmicks” rather than focusing on what was best for the country.
The Conservatives are led by Pierre Poilievre, a career politician who rose to prominence in early 2022 when he supported truck drivers who took over the center of Ottawa as part of a protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates
For decades, permanent residents in Canada have been able to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residency (PR) under the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) programme. Not anymore!
The immigration, refugees and citizenship canada (IRCC) has announced that it will no longer accept new applications under this scheme from 2025 onwards.
The IRCC clarified that while it will continue processing applications submitted in 2024, no new applications will be entertained under the PGP programme in the upcoming year. Previously, the initiative allowed Canadian permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to live with them permanently.
Instead, families can consider the Super Visa programme, which enables relatives to stay in Canada for up to five consecutive years.
The IRCC's decision stems from a broader effort to curb immigration numbers, which will see a 20 per cent reduction in PR allocations in 2025.
For 2025, the IRCC plans to settle 24,500 individuals under the PGP programme, but this number will sharply decrease in subsequent years.
Stricter immigration policies
Historically, Canada has been known for its immigrant-friendly policies. But prime minister Justin Trudeau’s administration has shifted its stance, aiming to address the strain on housing and healthcare systems caused by rapid population growth.
Reports from Toronto-based media suggest that over 1.2 million temporary residents might be compelled to leave Canada by 2025 as a result of stricter immigration rules.
Besides, annual PR quotas, which previously allowed 500,000 new immigrants, will reduce to 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027.
Of the reduced quota, only 94,500 visas will be allocated for family sponsorships in 2025, with 70,000 reserved for spouses and children of PR holders.
Impact on Bangladeshi residents
The suspension of the PGP programme has left many Bangladeshi families in a precarious position.
Prosenjit Das Joy, a 35-year-old from Keraniganj in Dhaka, has been working at a Canadian restaurant for five years. He shared, “Getting PR is now exceedingly difficult due to stricter point requirements. Many Bangladeshis without PR status are facing an uncertain future.”
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