Justin Trudeau announced on Monday he is stepping down as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and Prime Minister until a new leader is chosen, ending rampant speculation and months of political turbulence.
Trudeau made the long-awaited announcement at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Monday following a bombshell report from the Globe and Mail over the weekend highlighting the prime minister’s intentions to resign.
On Monday morning, he met with Governor General Mary Simon and asked for the prorogation of Parliament until March 24.
“I’m a fighter; every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians; I care deeply about this country,” said Trudeau.
“The fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session for a minority government in Canadian history. I intend to resign as Party Leader and Prime Minister after the party selects its next leader following a national, robust, rigorous and competitive process.”
Trudeau says he asked Liberal party president Sachit Mehra to launch a leadership race immediately.
Trudeau’s Liberals have been in flux for some time, and political pundits began questioning the Prime Minister’s leadership stemming from weeks of turmoil, none more evident than Chrystia Freeland’s sudden resignation in mid-December.
After Freeland resigned, Trudeau ducked questions from the media for weeks and cancelled all his year-end interviews with news organizations.
Over the winter holiday break, Trudeau reflected on his future amid growing calls from his caucus to step down.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has continually stated that Trudeau lost government control and repeated calls for an election. Trudeau’s Liberals have trailed behind Poilievre’s Conservative party for over a year as an affordability crisis grips the nation.
What comes next?
The Conservatives plan to introduce a non-confidence motion at the public accounts committee next week. The motion could be put to a vote in the House of Commons as soon as Jan. 30.
With Trudeau’s resignation official, the constitution provides that the Liberal caucus can be consulted on who becomes the interim leader. Many names have been floated as possible replacements, including Chrystia Freeland, former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, and current Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, to name a few.
The constitution does not dictate the length of a leadership contest. However, candidates must gather the necessary signatures and deliver a written nomination letter to the party president at least 90 days before the vote.
“Pierre Poilievre is not the right choice for Canadians,” Trudeau said of his political counterpart.
Trudeau was elected three times, most recently in 2021, when he retained power but lost his governing majority. He has been the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada since 2013 and the prime minister since 2015. He is the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Canada’s 15th Prime Minister.
“Since 2015, I have fought for this country, for you,” Trudeau said. “The country deserves a clear and real choice… If I have to focus on internal battles, I cannot be the best choice.”
With files from The Canadian Press
