Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement that he will step down following a Liberal leadership race has created a political storm that promises to rage for months to come.
With Parliament shut down until March 24 and an election likely to follow when the new Liberal leader tables a throne speech, Canadians shouldn't expect to head to the polls until late April, at the earliest.
With the new U.S. president threatening to impose crushing tariffs on Canada, is there any doubt that having a paralyzed and lame-duck Parliament at this time is anything but bad news?
For her part, Premier Danielle Smith says Canadians deserve a federal government with a clear mandate to negotiate with the new U.S. president and his administration in what she says is one of the most important international negotiations the country has ever faced.
She is calling on MPs to trigger an election at the first available opportunity and "give Canadians the opportunity to pick a party and a leader to represent their interests at this critical time.”
Other leaders and stakeholders have echoed Smith’s comments about the need for strong federal leadership.
However, Trudeau’s decision to shut down Parliament means any hope of an election being held in a few weeks, instead of months, has been dashed.
By the time Parliament returns in late March and an election is finally held, the new prime minister may well find himself or herself leading a country on the verge of economic crisis due to the threatened U.S. tariffs.
No doubt Trudeau has made many mistakes and missteps over the past decade, but his decision to prorogue Parliament at a time when the nation needs strong federal leadership as never before may go down as one of his most damaging and dangerous decisions.