N.S. Liberals commend Trudeau for announcing departure, say PM made 'right decision'
CBC
Nova Scotia Liberals are praising Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision not to lead the federal party into the next general election.
Trudeau announced Monday he will step down as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and prime minister once Liberals choose a successor.
Former Liberal housing minister Sean Fraser called Monday a "big day in Canadian politics and for the Liberal Party of Canada."
"I want to express my gratitude to him [Trudeau] for the time that he served and the opportunity to work with him to better my own community," he said.
Fraser, the MP for Central Nova, resigned from his cabinet post on Dec. 16 — the same day his colleague Chrystia Freeland stepped down as finance minister and deputy prime minister.
Freeland's bombshell announcement, which came the day she was scheduled to deliver a fiscal update, re-energized the movement within caucus to force Trudeau out.
Over the holidays, the Liberal Party's Atlantic caucus sent Trudeau a letter asking him to resign.
"Our colleagues this morning expressed their deep personal affection for you, their pride in our work as a Liberal team, but also their deep concern that without a leadership change, that progress will be lost under a Pierre Poilievre [led] government," noted the message, posted on social media by New Brunswick Liberal MP Wayne Long.
Trudeau said Monday he came to the conclusion that he "cannot be the best option" in the next federal election if he's "having to fight internal battles" within his own party.
Fraser said Trudeau "made the right decision to step away given that there are divisions within the party."
"It's time for a new chapter," said Fraser, who sidestepped whether the prime minister should have announced his departure sooner.
"There's an old adage that the best day to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second best day to plant a tree is today."
The interim leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, Derek Mombourquette, agreed the time is right for Trudeau to move on.
"I think he made the right decision for himself personally, first and foremost, and I think he made the right decision for the party," said the MLA for Sydney-Membertou.
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