Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Jan. 6.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

“I will always be motivated by what is in the best interests of Canadians,” Justin Trudeau declared, in announcing his resignation. And yet the interests of Canadians seem to have finished well behind the interests of the Liberal Party in his decision.

At one point the Prime Minister mused “we are at a critical moment in the world.” He got that much right, not least where Canada is concerned. The country is under assault on several fronts: by China, by India, by Russia, but most of all, incredibly, by the United States, whose president-elect has, for no sensible reason, declared economic war on us.

And for the next several months, at least, we will just have to sit tight before anyone does anything about it – not because the Prime Minister is going, but because, as he also announced, he is staying, pending the election of a new leader.

Alone in his office – for his staff will be off filing job applications – the Prime Minister might speak, but will find no one is listening. He will pull on........

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