Heather Wright/The Independent

Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu says Prime Minister should have done “the right thing” and called an election.

Justin Trudeau announced Monday he would resign as the Prime Minister after the Liberal Party chooses a new leader. He’s prorogued Parliament until late March to allow a leadership race to take place. 

Gladu says Trudeau’s announcement comes as no surprise. 

“With all of the (Liberal) caucus voices wanting him to leave, with it clear that there’s not a path forward to victory for him, I think he’s left with few choices. But I think instead of doing the right thing, which would have been just to call an election, now we’ve put Parliament in basically stall mode for 77 days,” she tells The Independent. 

Gladu says a leadership race is unlikely to change the Liberals fortunes since the major candidates, including the former finance minister, have “all been part of the last nine years of these disastrous policies that have put us in the mess we’re in. The polls show that none of them are going to be any more popular than Trudeau, and his popularity is in the toilet…

“I think Canadians are ready to go to the polls and make their choice. And I don’t think that you know, you’re going to see too much different outcome… 

“I just think Canadians shouldn’t have to wait for the Liberal Party to get their act together.”

And Gladu says there is another issue with proroguing the House. “We can’t get an election before likely May, and so there’ll be a carbon tax increase, 13 more cents a liter coming to you April 1.

The uncertainty at the federal government couldn’t come at a worse time, Gladu said noting US President-Elect Donald Trump is threatening massive tariffs on Canadian goods. 

Gladu says the Conservative Party has a natural ‘in’ with the incoming Republican government. MP Jamal Giovanni went to Yale with Vice President Elect JD Vance. 

And she says Canada has some key assets which it could use in negotiations. 

“If you look at what does the US need from us – a nice supply of oil and gas that is not related to dirty dictators would be very pleasant for them. And they do also need our water. And there’s never been discussions about any kind of water treaty,” Gladu says.

She conceded some would not like the idea of a water treaty with the US, but they won’t like what 25 per cent tariffs do to our economy either.

As for Trudeau, Gladu says his legacy won’t be one of climate warrior or the Prime Minister who did great things for Reconciliations. “He’ll be remembered as the worst Prime Minister Canada has ever had, and the one that spent more than all the other prime ministers put together.”