OTTAWA: Justin Trudeau resigned as the Prime Minister of Canada in January after losing support in the ruling Liberal Party.
The party would elect his replacement on March 9. The General Election in Canada is scheduled for October.
The outgoing Canadian Prime Minister teared up in front of the cameras on Thursday in the final days of his tenure.
Trudeau became emotional as he recalled the challenges during his 10-year reign.
“On a personal level, I have made sure every single day in this office, I have put Canadians first, that I have people’s backs. And that’s why I’m here to tell you all that we got you. Even in the very last days of this government, we will not let Canadians down today and long into the future,” he said, visibly emotional.
Trudeau also criticised Trump’s abrupt reversal on sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods by pausing them for another month, calling it “Thursday.”
His response elicited laughter from the audience. He also warned Canadians of tough times ahead. A hefty duty hike of 25 per cent on goods entering the US from Canada and Mexico went into effect on March 4 as scheduled, and 20 per cent on imports from China.
Trudeau has called Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods “dumb” and ordered retaliatory hikes of 25 per cent on $30 billion worth of unspecified American goods, which would extend to $125 billion in goods in 21 days.