Justin Trudeau’s resignation has put former B.C. premier Christy Clark squarely again within the political highlight.
Clark publicly expressed curiosity in main the federal Liberal Get together in October 2024 however famous on the time the job was not open. Now, in fact, following Trudeau’s announcement on Monday morning, it’s.
On social media Monday, Clark posted messages in French and English, thanking Trudeau and wishing him nicely:
“As a lifelong Liberal I look ahead to becoming a member of tens of 1000’s of Canadians to decide on our subsequent chief,” she stated. “That is the most important alternative in over a decade that we have needed to develop our Get together and welcome new Liberals — together with Canadians involved about the way forward for our nation — let’s seize it,” she stated.
Clark was premier from 2011-2017 and chief of the B.C. Liberal Get together, which was by no means affiliated with the federal Liberals.
She is certainly one of many names being floated as a possible candidate to exchange Trudeau because the federal social gathering’s new chief.
Distance from Trudeau an asset
Various pundits have famous that given Trudeau’s deep unpopularity, the Liberal Get together may do nicely to decide on an outsider not carefully affiliated with the prime minister — corresponding to Clark or former Financial institution of Canada governor Mark Carney.
“I feel the attention-grabbing names of Mark Carney and Christy Clark are flying round, not surprisingly, as a result of they do not have that tie to Trudeau like a few of the different candidates do,” stated Sanjay Jeram, senior political science lecturer at Simon Fraser College.
The president of the Conservative Get together of B.C. stated whereas Clark is a protracted shot for chief, she is nicely positioned to distance herself from Trudeau’s repute and report.
“Who is aware of? So much can change in politics in a few days so perhaps she’ll transfer up and be a contender,” stated Aisha Estey.
Estey believes Trudeau’s resignation might result in a federal election as early as April as an alternative of the mounted date of Oct. 20.
“It is a very attention-grabbing time. Conservatives, we wish an election now. We do not suppose the nation must be put by way of a management race for the Liberal Get together, however this, hopefully, will velocity up the method,” she stated on CBC’s The Early Edition.
In 2017, Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal minority authorities was defeated in a non-confidence vote, paving the best way for the B.C. NDP to kind authorities.
Clark resigned from provincial politics in 2017 after the John Horgan-led B.C. NDP signed a confidence and provide settlement with the B.C. Inexperienced Get together to defeat Clark’s minority authorities.
Her web site says she is at present a “sought-after Canadian keynote speaker at occasions throughout the nation and internationally and serves as advisor to a few of Canada’s main organizations.”
Response to Trudeau’s announcement he’s stepping down got here from all political corners in B.C.
Former Vancouver Granville MP Jody Wilson-Raybould, who had an acrimonious falling out with Trudeau after serving as his justice minister and legal professional basic, stated on social media, “We will lastly flip the web page.”
“Effectively, the PM didn’t sound like he wished to go [and] was sadly not too gracious, however he’s going. I thank him for his service,” she wrote. “…we should preserve deal with constructing a stronger Canada in an more and more risky [and] unsure world.”
Wilson-Raybould resigned from cupboard and was expelled from caucus over what got here to be generally known as the SNC-Lavalin affair.
B.C. Premier David Eby stated in an announcement, “Whereas we did not all the time agree, I wish to thank Justin Trudeau for serving as Prime Minister throughout some very troublesome occasions our nation has confronted.
“British Columbians have benefited from a number of initiatives began beneath Justin Trudeau, together with the federal authorities’s choice to accomplice with B.C. on decreasing the price of baby care,” stated Eby.
Opposition B.C. Conservative chief John Rustad posted that Eby “has misplaced his primary political ally right this moment with Trudeau’s resignation.”
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