Conservative MP Randy Hoback said he’s going to be spending a lot more time in the Prince Albert area after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament until March 24, but he’d rather be contesting an election.
Trudeau announced on Monday that he was stepping down as Liberal leader while staying on as Prime Minister until the party finishes a leadership race. On Tuesday, Hoback said he doesn’t expect much change from a different Liberal leader. He said Canadians who want change will have to wait for a federal election, not a leadership convention.
“The gun control, the carbon tax, these are all Liberal initiatives that Trudeau led, but was backed up by Liberals and NDP (members) in Parliament to see legislation go forward,” Hoback said during a phone interview. “It really changes nothing until there’s an actual Carbon Tax election.
“We’re ready to go tomorrow,” he added. “We’ve been stressing non-confidence in this government for more than a year now. We’ve seen the carnage that they’ve created…. It has to end, and the only way it can end is to actually have this government replaced.”
Hoback was critical of Trudeau’s decision to prorogue Parliament. He said the country faces several major challenges—including a multi-billion dollar deficit and tariff threats from the United States—and proroguing Parliament means those issues will go unaddressed at a critical time.
On Tuesday, U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump told reporters he would use economic policy to “get rid of that artificially drawn line” between Canada and the U.S. Hoback said Canada needs strong leaders to deal with Trump, not a Liberal leadership race.
“He (Trump) senses weakness,” Hoback said. “Trudeau is a weak leader. He senses that, and he’s taken full advantage of that scenario. Until we have a change in government, and until we put in a proper Prime Minister who is strong and will defend all Canadians, these are the types of threats we’ll have out of the US.”
Trudeau opened his announcement on Monday by saying he was inspired by the resilience, generosity, and determination displayed by Canadians and wanted to stay on as leader. However, he also said it was obvious Parliament wasn’t working as intended.
“I’m a fighter,” Trudeau said. “Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country, and I will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians. The fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history. That’s why this morning, I advised the Governor General that we need a new session of Parliament.”
Trudeau added that Canadians deserve “a real choice” in the next election, but said he would not be the best option if he had to fight internal battles while campaigning.
“Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election, and it has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard,” he said.
In response to Trump’s comments about getting rid of the line between Canada and the US, Trudeau posted a statement on social media. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” it reads. “Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading partner.”
