As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a rebellion from his own Liberal MPs in caucus this week, former B.C. premier Christy Clark is suggesting she would be interested in replacing him, should Trudeau decide to step down.
In a statement sent to Radio-Canada in French, Clark wrote that she was open to returning to public life and “would like to be part of the discussion about the future direction of the Liberal Party and the country.”
Clark, 58, who served as premier from 2011-17, also wrote that “Canadians are tired of politicians who think that fear mongering and divisiveness will win an election and gain power.”
She added, “They also understand that polarized political views are standing in the way of the solutions we need.”
According to Clark, voters want leaders “who will unite our country with practical solutions to the tough challenges we face,” including “the cost of living, the housing crisis, the need to strengthen our health-care system and the importance of fighting climate change.”
Clark is shown during a campaign stop in Prince George, B.C. on May 5, 2017. She resigned after the election when her minority government was defeated by an NDP confidence motion. The New Democrats then took over the province with the support of the Green Party. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)
“Because our country and its future are important to me, I have never closed the door to the possibility of one day returning to political life,” Clark wrote.
In her statement, the former Liberal premier expressed an interest in leading the federal party but also wrote that the position “is not going to be vacant in the near future.”
Clark’s comments come as Trudeau prepares for a heated meeting with his caucus on Wednesday. Some MPs are being asked to sign their names to what amounts to a pledge to stand together in calling for the prime minister to resign, multiple sources have told CBC News.
Outspoken against Trudeau
Over the last two years, Clark has been outspoken in calling for Trudeau to step down as Liberal leader.
In March 2022, on the popular podcast Curse of Politics, she said that “Justin Trudeau is tired and complacent.”
“I don’t think Trudeau is an asset to the Liberals, I think he’s a gift to Poilievre,” she said, referring to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. She added that Trudeau has exacerbated divisions between Quebec and Western Canada “for political reasons,” while Canada “needs politicians who will bridge this gap.”
After the Liberals suffered a stunning byelection defeat in the riding of Toronto-St. Paul’s in June, Clark suggested MPs begin having private conversations with Trudeau about the party’s election prospects if he stays on.
“I think the leader needs to be replaced,” she told the Globe and Mail. “I think it’s time for him to move to other, fairer pastures.”
Clark’s political history
Clark has been taking French lessons for several months, according to a source close to her who spoke to Radio-Canada.
The former premier has already made two trips to the Cégep de Jonquière in Quebec and plans to return there in the coming months to improve her French skills, sources told Radio-Canada.
Clark, left, shakes hands with Trudeau at a meeting in Vancouver on March 2, 2017. Over the last two years, Clark has been outspoken in calling for Trudeau to step down. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)
Clark also launched a TikTok account last month. In the most recent post on Oct. 5, she encouraged British Columbians to vote in the provincial election that officially ended on Saturday.
During her six years as B.C. premier, she built a reputation as an environmentally conscious, fiscally prudent Liberal who championed the mining and oil industries.
She resigned in 2017 when her minority government was defeated by an NDP confidence motion. The New Democrats then took over the province with the support of the Green Party.
Her departure from politics left the B.C. Liberal Party in disarray. In April 2023, the party officially rebranded and became B.C. United, until it dissolved altogether on the eve of the most recent election campaign.
During the 2022 Conservative leadership race, Clark endorsed former Quebec premier Jean Charest, who eventually lost to Poilievre.
Clark is a regular federal politics commentator on several English-language television and radio networks, including CTV, CBC and Global. She also works as a guest speaker across Canada.