Justin Trudeau's resignation puts spotlight on former B.C. premier Christy Clark

Justin Trudeau’s resignation has placed former B.C. premier Christy Clark back into the political spotlight.

Clark had previously shown interest in leading the federal Liberal Party in October 2024, though she acknowledged the position was not available at that time. However, following Trudeau’s announcement on Monday morning, the leadership role is now up for grabs.

On social media, Clark expressed her gratitude to Trudeau, offering her well-wishes, and shared her excitement about the opportunity for the Liberal Party:

"As a lifelong Liberal, I look forward to joining tens of thousands of Canadians to choose our next leader," she wrote. "This is the biggest opportunity in over a decade that we've had to grow our Party and welcome new Liberals — including Canadians concerned about the future of our country — let's seize it."

Clark served as premier from 2011 to 2017 and led the B.C. Liberal Party, which was not connected to the federal Liberals. She is one of several individuals being discussed as a possible candidate to replace Trudeau as the new leader of the federal party.

Given Trudeau’s widespread unpopularity, many pundits have suggested that the Liberal Party could benefit from selecting an outsider who is not closely tied to the prime minister, such as Clark or former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.

"I think the interesting names of Mark Carney and Christy Clark are flying around, not surprisingly, because they don't have that tie to Trudeau like some of the other candidates do," said Sanjay Jeram, a senior political science lecturer at Simon Fraser University.

Aisha Estey, president of the Conservative Party of B.C., acknowledged that while Clark’s chances may be slim, her ability to distance herself from Trudeau's legacy could make her a strong contender.

"Who knows? A lot can change in politics in a couple of days so maybe she'll move up and be a contender," said Estey.

Estey also predicted that Trudeau's resignation could lead to a federal election as soon as April, potentially ahead of the fixed date of October 20.

"It's a very interesting time. Conservatives, we want an election now. We don't think the country should be put through a leadership race for the Liberal Party, but this, hopefully, will speed up the process," she commented.

Clark resigned from provincial politics in 2017 after the B.C. NDP, led by John Horgan, formed a government with the support of the B.C. Green Party. Since leaving politics, Clark has been active as a keynote speaker at events across the country and internationally, as well as serving as an advisor to several leading Canadian organizations.

The news of Trudeau’s resignation has prompted reactions from various political figures in B.C. Former Vancouver Granville MP Jody Wilson-Raybould, who had a public fallout with Trudeau following her time as his justice minister and attorney general, wrote on social media, "We can finally turn the page."

"Well, the PM did not sound like he wanted to go [and] was sadly not too gracious, but he is going. I thank him for his service," she added. "We must keep focus on building a stronger Canada in an increasingly volatile [and] uncertain world."

Wilson-Raybould had resigned from cabinet and was expelled from caucus over the SNC-Lavalin affair.

B.C. Premier David Eby expressed his gratitude to Trudeau, acknowledging their disagreements but recognizing the challenges he faced during his time in office.

"While we didn't always agree, I want to thank Justin Trudeau for serving as Prime Minister during some very difficult times our country has faced," Eby said in a statement. "British Columbians have benefited from several initiatives started under Justin Trudeau, including the federal government's decision to partner with B.C. on lowering the cost of child care."

Opposition B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad remarked that Eby had lost a key political ally with Trudeau's resignation.