Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the prime minister’s resignation last week brought “clarity” and “stability” as he looks to finalize financial commitments from the federal government before the next election.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that he would be stepping down as both prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada pending the appointment of a new leader. He also announced that Gov. Gen. Mary Simon had agreed with his request to prorogue government until spring.
In a statement to Ottawa Compass responding to the news, Sutcliffe thanked Trudeau and cited their “good, respectful working relationship.”
“I had the privilege of welcoming him to Ottawa City Hall last year, where we had a constructive and positive conversation,” said Sutcliffe. “And it’s a difficult job. I have a deep respect for anyone who steps forward to take on such responsibility.”
Sutcliffe also said he hopes this new “clarity” about Trudeau’s political future will allow City Hall to make progress on discussions with the federal government, particularly around the request for significant investment in OC Transpo and the downtown core. He said that the prorogation confirms that an election won’t be held until spring at the earliest, which allows the City to firm up its timelines for reaching an agreement with the feds.
“The conversations with the federal government over the past months have been productive, and while we’re not at the finish line yet, I remain optimistic that we can successfully conclude these discussions soon,” he said. “With the clarity provided by the Prime Minister’s decision, I’m hopeful that this brings more stability as we enter 2025 and that we can bring our discussions to a successful conclusion for the benefit of Ottawa.”
In the wake of Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation in December, Sutcliffe said it was time to ramp up the pressure to secure the requested funding from the feds.
The 2025 City of Ottawa Budget includes a $36-million gap for federal and provincial funding, but there wasn’t any sign of this funding in the Fall Economic Statement and at the time, Sutcliffe told Ottawa Compass that Freeland’s resignation is a sign that Ottawa must seek firm commitment for these investments as soon as possible.
