OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is preparing to leave his job, the Star has learned.
Trudeau is expected to signal his intentions to step aside as early as Monday, but before an emergency Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday, a senior source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the Star.
Details of Trudeau’s exit were still being discussed Sunday night, including the exact timing of the announcement, the source said.
It was not clear whether Trudeau intended to resign only as Liberal leader or also step down as prime minister in the coming days.
The Globe and Mail first reported earlier Sunday that Trudeau is expected to resign as Liberal leader as early as Monday.
His impending departure comes two weeks before incoming U.S. President Donald Trump returns to the White House with a threat to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian goods. Trudeau has made clear to his team that he does not want to throw Canada into chaos, so it is expected that whatever plans he puts in place will aim to maintain stability in the face of Trump’s threat.
Over the past three weeks, Trudeau has faced unprecedented pressure to resign, with significant opposition to his leadership emerging within his own party as Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives dominate national opinion polls.
The pressure has only mounted since Trudeau’s long-time political partner and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, delivered her bombshell resignation last month. Freeland — whom the Star has reported is mulling a leadership run if Trudeau steps down — signalled she had lost Trudeau’s confidence as finance minister and suggested the government was spending too much public money instead of keeping reserves that could be needed in a possible tariff war with the U.S., Canada’s largest trading partner by far.
Since then, Trudeau has faced a flood of calls for him to resign, as more MPs joined those previously opposed to his leadership.
News has also trickled out — including in the Star — that some potential contenders to replace him are quietly positioning themselves. That includes Freeland, former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, and possibly Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
Other possible candidates raised by Liberal MPs in recent days include Dominic LeBlanc, the recently-appointed Finance Minister, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, and Transport Minister Anita Anand.
Former Liberal MP Frank Baylis has also said he is mulling a bid for the leadership.
