MP Glen Motz, Premier Danielle Smith and MLA Justin Wright all weighed in on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Monday announcement. File Photos/CHAT News

By Olivia Thorington

POLITICS

Medicine Hat politicians slam ‘selfish’ Parliament pause by outgoing Trudeau

Jan 6, 2025 | 1:24 PM

Medicine Hat’s elected federal and provincial representatives criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s move to prorogue Parliament — effectively putting government on pause — as self-serving and irresponsible considering the threat of economically-harmful tariffs threatened by the incoming U.S. administration.

The three politicians — all members of conservative governments — emphasized the urgency of holding a federal election as soon as possible.

Premier Danielle Smith, who also serves as MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat, said Canada requires a federal government elected “with a clear mandate won from the Canadian people” to negotiate with the incoming Trump administration.

“The Liberal Party has no such mandate from Canadians and they are putting their selfish political interests ahead of the Canadian people by paralyzing Parliament and suspending democracy for months while they fight a divisive internal leadership contest,” Smith said in a statement.

“It is one of the most irresponsible and selfish acts of a government in Canadian history,” she added.

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“We call on all federal parties and MPs to force an election at the first available opportunity and give Canadians the opportunity to pick a party and a leader to represent their interests at this critical time for our nation.”

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READ: Trudeau prorogues Parliament, will step down as PM

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Trudeau on Monday morning revealed he would step down as Liberal leader when his party picks his successor. That also means leaving the prime minister job he’s held since the 2015 election.

MP Glen Motz, a Conservative representing Medicine Hat and large areas around it, said the Liberals are “paralyzing government to save their own skins”.

“This can’t go on, and I’m of a strong belief, as far as most Canadians are as well that we need a carbon tax election, and we need it now,” he told CHAT News in an interview Monday morning.

Motz said there’s hope for Canadians that have grown tired of the minority Liberal government and are looking forward to the federal election that is likely to be triggered after Parliament resumes in March.

“Canadians can take back control of their lives and their country, and I believe that very, very strongly,” Motz said.

Justin Wright, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, called Trudeau’s resignation “great” but echoed Smith’s comments.

“The proroguing of the federal government is absolutely selfish, horrible move. (It) really prevents Canada from moving forward as needed,” he told CHAT News.

Wright said he hopes the prime minister adheres to the date of March 24 that Trudeau said would the end of the parliamentary pause as the government needs to urgently stabilize.

Wright argued it’s now on the premiers to pick up Canada’s response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threatened 25 per cent tariff on Canadian imports.

“Instead of having an adult at the conversation at the federal level, we’ve got somebody who’s slunk away into the darkness of failure,” Wright said.

“So, I appreciate that the premier is being very proactive in trying to show what can be done in Canada to help address some of these concerns.”